Beijing, Jan 31: A Tibetan monk was given a suspended death sentence and his nephew sent to 10 years in prison by a court for inciting self-immolation protests against Chinese rule, that have shaken the Himalayan region in recent months.
Monk Lorang Konchok, 40, was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve and has been stripped of his political rights for life, in what was seen as a deterrent punishment in the region hit by unrest.
His nephew, Lorang Tsering, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and has been stripped of his political rights for three years, state-run Xinhua quoted the court verdict as saying.
The two incited and coerced eight people to self-immolate, resulting in three deaths, the Intermediate People's Court of the Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Aba found.
Monk Konchok was accused by the prosecutors of receiving instructions from fellow monks settled in Dharmashala and inciting the immolations calling for return of the Dalai Lama from self exile.
His confessions were widely telecast in China. About 95 people have set themselves on fire in recent months in different parts of the Tibet Autonomous Region and
Tibetan prefectures.
China has blamed the wave of protests on the Dalai Lama and his supporters who it says were trying to discredit the Chinese government. Konchok is the second monk to have been convicted.
In 2011, Monk Drongdru was sentenced to 11 years for plotting, instigating and assisting the self immolation of a fellow monk. Last month, China brought a new law in Tibet making inciting others to set themselves on fire or not affectively intervening to stop people indulging in such acts as an “intentional homicide”.
