Tibetan Singer Sentenced For Activism

Popular singer Kalsang Yarphel was convicted by a Chinese court in the southwestern province of Sichuan for encouraging audiences at concerts to speak and learn Tibetan. He was reportedly sentenced to four years in prison.

Photo: freetibet.org

The authorities say that Yarphel’s songs “have political overtones,” which is apparently illegal, and he was sentenced to two years in jail, according to Indian news site Phayul.com. The exact crime for which the singer was convicted was not specified in the report. He was arrested in June 2013 and reportedly held in a detention center awaiting formal charges.

Yarphel blends traditional Tibetan instrumentation with pop forms. Some of his song titles are “We Should Learn Tibetan” and “We Should Unite.”

The concerts in question took place in 2012. The Chinese government says it has brought economic development to Tibet, which is much poorer than the rest of China, and that it allows for religious freedom in the area. However, it bans journalists from reporting on the situation there.