The Chinese government defended its execution of a Tibetan convicted of a series of bomb blasts and its rejection of the appeal of a monk sentenced to death in connection with the same case.
“I want to stress here that China is a country ruled by law. China’s judicial bodies examine all cases according to law,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said Tuesday.
Lobsang Dhondup, 28, was put to death Sunday after his sentence was upheld by a court in southwestern Sichuan province.
An appeal by Tensin Deleg Rinpoche, a 52-year-old monk, was rejected Sunday by the Sichuan Higher People’s Court, court officials said.
He was given a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, which is likely to be commuted to life imprisonment.
The execution of Lobsang Dhondup and the rejection of the monk’s appeal have triggered a wave of protests throughout the world.
The United States Monday raised concern about the execution of the activist, while Germany said it contradicted assurances which China had given the European Union.
The two Tibetans were blamed for a bomb attack last April in Sichuan’s capital Chengdu, which killed one person and injured another, as well as two explosions in the Ganzi area of the Kham Tibetan region under Sichuan provincial administration.
“Regarding any criminal elements who undermine public security or are engaged in terrorist bombing activities, any country ruled by law would punish them according to law and the case has been tried according to Chinese law,” Zhang said.
“China has a whole set of very strict reviewing systems concerning capital punishment,” she said.
