Choegyal Wangpo (曲嘉旺波)

Crime: Unknown

Length of Punishment: 20 years

Court: Shigatse Intermediate Court, Tibet

Trial Date: Unknown

Sentencing Date: Unknown date in September 2020

Dates of Detention/Arrest/Indictment: Detained in August or September 2019, exact date of criminal detention, arrest, and indictment unknown

Place of Incarceration: Unknown

Choegyal Wangpo is a Tibetan monk from the Tengdro Monastery. In September 2020, the Shigatse Intermediate Court in Tibet sentenced Choegyal Wangpo to 20 years in prison on unknown charges during a secret trial for sending money to Tibetans in Nepal affected by the 2015 earthquake. Choegyal Wangpo had accidentally left his phone in a café in Lhasa in August or September 2019, leading Chinese authorities to search it and discover messages about the donations; such financial transfers are legal under Chinese law.

Chinese authorities beat him and raided his monastery to detain other Tibetans, ultimately sentencing four of them for having photos of the Dalai Lama or contacts with Tibetans abroad, including sending donations to their sister monastery in Nepal. His current status and whereabouts are unknown.

Further information

“China: End Long-Term Imprisonment of Human Rights Defenders”, CHRD, December 9, 2025[F1] 

“Prosecute Them with Awesome Power” China’s Crackdown on Tengdro Monastery and Restrictions on Communications in Tibet, Human Rights Watch, July 6, 2021