Thupten Yeshi spent a quarter of his life in prison after his arrest in 1992

Tibet Watch has received information that Thubten Yeshi, a farmer and former political prisoner, passed away last week at the age of 74.

Thupten Yeshi

According to the information, Thubten Yeshi died on 28 September in the capital city of Lhasa, Tibet.

Thubten Yeshi was a farmer who spent 15 years, a quarter of his life, behind bars for staging a protest with four fellow Tibetan farmers. A source recalled the day, 13 June 1992, when Thupten and others protested, shouting: “ Tibet is a completely independent Country!”, “The Chinese must leave Tibet!” and “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”

The protest took place in their hometown of Gyama (Ch:Jiama)Township, where the county government of Medro Gonkar (Ch:Mozhugongka) was carrying out patriotic education campaigns. The area is located in the part of Tibet governed as the Tibet Autonomous Region

All five members of the group were arrested. The same year, Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Thupten to 15 years in the notorious Drapchi prison. He was released on 12 June 2007.