Dharamshala: Tsetan Dorjee, A Tibetan activist was sentenced to 5 years in prison after he was found guilty of entering Nepal illegally. He was attempting a solidarity march into Tibet from Nepal.
Dorjee had started his peace march on March 10th from Dharamshala this year. His 'Dhasa to Lhasa' solidarity campaign was planned to coincide with the Tibetan National Uprising Day.
Dorjee had been arrested about 15 kilometers away from the Nepali capital Kathmandu on the 21st of May. He had waited close to two months before he was sentenced.
He was travelling with his mother and sister. They were captured by Nepali authorities and were deported back to India. Dorjee was able to evade them and continued his march till he was finally captured.
Mogru Tenpa, a member of exile Tibetan parliament, who was present at the time of court hearing, said the prison sentence was given after Dorjee refused to pay penalty money demanded by police.
Dorjee said he would accept any judgment but would not pay any fine or penalty.
"If I die under the Chinese gun at the border, my message to all Tibetans is to be united in our struggle," Dorjee had told one of the Tibetan papers.
According to dhomay.com, the sentence will be commuted to only a two year imprisonment, but it has not been fully confirmed.
Dorjee had been living in Israel for the last few years with his family and had recently decided to go back to his own country.
