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Tibetan involved in terrorist bombing still in prison

Xinhua (Chinese state news agency)
December 30th, 2004

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (xinhua) -- The two-year probation period of an Tibetan monk, A'an Zhaxi, also known as Tenzin Delek Rinpoche sentenced to death is set to end on Jan. 26 next year, said the provincial court of southwest China's Sichuan Province Thursday.

According to Chinese law, the death sentence will be commuted to life in prison if the criminal does not violate the law again during the two-year probation, the court said.

Presently, A'an Zhaxi has abided by the rules in jail and committed no further crimes, said the chief warden of the prison.

The Tibentan monk was sentenced to death and two-year probation on Dec. 2, 2002, for financing and supporting a series of terrorist bombings and secession activities by the Intermediate People's Court of Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze in western Sichuan.

The provincial court turned down his appeal on Jan. 23, 2003 and he received the judgment three days later.

In almost two-year stay behind bars, A'an Zhaxi has been permitted to chant and read Buddhist sutra, said a warden with the prison where he is staying. the prison has also subscribed three Tibetan newspapers for him.

The 54-year-old man had been suffering high blood pressure and coronary heart disease before he was put in jail. A doctor is appointed to take care of his health and medicine now in prison and he takes a health chenckup every three months.

A'an Zhaxi was born in Litang County of Garze in Sichuan. From 2000 to 2002, he and another Tibetan man Lobeang Dondrup had plotted to commit a series of terrorist bombings and hand out leaflets advocating splittism, the court said.

A'an Zhaxi had provided explosives and funds for Lobsang Dondrup and written the leaflets, according to the court.

The latter man was convicted of detonating bombs and handing out leaflets in the downtown of the prefectures capital, at the house of a local living Buddha, at the front gate of the prefecture organ of Communist Party of China (CPA) and a public park at Chengdu, the provincial capital, which caused one person seriously injured, two lightly wounded and economic losses of about 800,000 Yuan(96,735 US dollars), from January 2001 to April, 2002.

He also committed a bombing in the office building of the local traffic police station in Garze on Oct. 3, 2001, killing one person and causing a loss of 290,000 Yuan (35,066 US dollars)

Lobsang Dondrup was sentenced to death on Dec. 2, 2002.

The higher People's Court of Sichuan will gear the case after his probation ends, the court said.