Kalsang Yarphel convicted in Sichuan after taking part in concerts encouraging people to learn Tibetan

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

China has sentenced a popular singer to four years in prison for calling on Tibetans to unify and speak their language, according to reports, highlighting tight cultural controls in the region.

Kalsang Yarphel, 39, was convicted by a court in the south-western province of Sichuan after taking part in concerts encouraging people to speak and learn Tibetan, India-based news website Phayul.com reported on Sunday.

“Authorities accuse him of singing songs that have political overtones,” the site reported, adding that Yarphel’s music arranger was also sentenced to two years in jail.

It was not clear what crime the singer, who blends traditional Tibetan instrumentation with pop influences, was convicted of on Thursday.

Radio Free Asia (RFA), a US-funded broadcaster, cited a local source as saying: “He was indicted for organising Tibetan concerts and singing songs … carrying political themes.”

Yarphel’s songs included We Should Learn Tibetan and We Should Unite, RFA reported, adding that he was detained last year. The concerts were in 2012.

The singer’s call for Tibetans to “build courage” to think about Tibet’s “future path” was deemed subversive by Chinese authorities, RFA added.

Wary of any challenge to its rule, Beijing tightly controls cultural and religious practices in Tibet, and many Tibetans complain of economic discrimination. Controls have tightened since a wave of deadly riots in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in 2008.

Beijing says it has brought economic development to poverty-stricken Tibetan areas, and that it grants broad religious freedoms.

At least 130 Tibetans have set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against Beijing’s rule. China says the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has encouraged self-immolations, and has warned foreign governments against meeting him.

Beijing heavily restricts journalists in Tibetan areas, making reports hard to confirm. Authorities in Sichuan province could not be reached for comment.