Teacher of traditional Tibetan dance imprisoned

A Tibetan monk and teacher of the traditional monastic dance Cham has been sentenced to four years in prison after he gave talks about Tibetan culture and history, reports International Campaign for Tibet

Gendun, who is in his thirties, had been a Cham dance teacher at Yulung monastery in Tsigorthang (Xinghai) county since the late 1990s. In February 2005 he was detained together with more than 20 monks, students and teachers. While the other Tibetans detained at the same time appear to have been released soon afterwards, Gendun was tried and sentenced in January 2006.

According to the report from International Campaign for Tibet the formal charges are not yet known, but his imprisonment appears to be linked to his popularity and influence in the local community as a speaker on issues relating to the importance of Tibetan culture. He was arrested three months after he held a meeting to speak about Tibetan culture and history at a teacher training college in Tsolho (Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai province.

International Campaign for Tibet could not confirm information about his whereabouts. Reports indicated that he may currently be held in a 'reform through labor' facility (laogai) west of Xining, Qinghai.