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| Protesters Seek Return of Body of Tibetan Monk Who Died in Jail | Protesters Seek Return of Body of Tibetan Monk Who Died in Jail |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| HONG KONG — The death of a Tibetan spiritual leader in a Chinese jail led to a violent protest by Tibetans demanding the return of his body to his family, according to news reports and an advocacy group. | |
| Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, one of the most prominent Tibetan spiritual leaders to be imprisoned by the Chinese authorities, was serving a 20-year sentence in Sichuan Province after he was convicted of a series of bombings in the provincial capital, Chengdu, in 2002. | Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, one of the most prominent Tibetan spiritual leaders to be imprisoned by the Chinese authorities, was serving a 20-year sentence in Sichuan Province after he was convicted of a series of bombings in the provincial capital, Chengdu, in 2002. |
| The monk’s family learned of his death on Sunday. The next day, thousands gathered to mourn at a government office in Yajiang County in western Sichuan, according to a statement by Free Tibet, an advocacy group based in London. | The monk’s family learned of his death on Sunday. The next day, thousands gathered to mourn at a government office in Yajiang County in western Sichuan, according to a statement by Free Tibet, an advocacy group based in London. |
| The police fired shots into the air, used tear gas and beat protesters to disperse the crowds, the group said, and at least 23 people were sent to a hospital for treatment on Monday. | The police fired shots into the air, used tear gas and beat protesters to disperse the crowds, the group said, and at least 23 people were sent to a hospital for treatment on Monday. |
| The protesters demanded that the Chinese authorities hand over the monk’s body to the family for funeral rites, the group said. | The protesters demanded that the Chinese authorities hand over the monk’s body to the family for funeral rites, the group said. |
| Radio Free Asia, a news service based in Washington and funded by the United States government, also reported the confrontation, citing Tibetan sources in the region and in exile. | Radio Free Asia, a news service based in Washington and funded by the United States government, also reported the confrontation, citing Tibetan sources in the region and in exile. |
| Family members could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, and calls to the prison where Tenzin Delek was held went unanswered. | Family members could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, and calls to the prison where Tenzin Delek was held went unanswered. |
| Tenzin Delek, whose co-defendant was executed in 2003, maintained he was innocent and continued to be revered widely while in prison. | |
| Earlier, he had built monasteries, clinics and schools, and lived in Yajiang County, according to a report by Human Rights Watch from 2004. | |
| In a statement on Monday, the State Department said it hoped China would investigate the death of Tenzin Delek. | In a statement on Monday, the State Department said it hoped China would investigate the death of Tenzin Delek. |
| “We urge Chinese authorities to return his body to his family or to his monastery so that customary religious rituals can be properly performed,” the department said in a statement. | “We urge Chinese authorities to return his body to his family or to his monastery so that customary religious rituals can be properly performed,” the department said in a statement. |