By Tenzin Dharpo

DHARAMSHALA, May 24: An American District court penalized a Tibetan man yesterday (May 23) for allegedly assaulting a senior citizen during a mass protest rally two years ago during a visit by the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Lobsang Gyaltsen, aka Dowa Gyakpa,, currently seeking asylum in the United States and allegedly a part of Shugden supporters, assaulted Ngawang Norbu Sherpa on October 31, 2014 during His Holiness’s visit to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), according to Tibet.net which cited the Tibetan Association of Boston and Mr Ngawang Norbu Sherpa, the victim, as its source. The accused, now convicted pleaded guilty to all the charges, including physical assault.

Cambridge District Court in the Middlesex County in Massachusetts issued a restraining order and a monthly monetary penalty against Lobsang Gyaltsen. The judge ordered Gyaltsen to keep a mandatory distance and also not to contact the victim either directly or through any other party. Gyaltsen has also been directed to deposit an immediate payment of 90 US Dollars to the district attorney and an amount of 50 Dollars every month for one year to the District Administration. The judge warned that the failure to comply with the penalties could result in additional charges including probation for up to a year; jeopardize his citizenship application and even deportation.

In March this year, the International Shugden Community disbanded announcing withdrawal of all the demonstrations after international media agency Reuters published an investigative report linking the organization with the Chinese government operationally and in funding.