Tenzin Khedup, a monk from Tsamphung Monastery in Tengchen County, Chamdo Prefecture, was arrested following a major bomb explosion that occurred on 18 July 2001 in the Chinese government-operated gold mining area in Trekdo Township, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). In the aftermath of the incident, Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) officials launched a large-scale crackdown and detained sixteen monks and lay Tibetans on suspicion of involvement in the explosion.

During the investigation, detainees were reportedly subjected to severe torture and harsh interrogations aimed at extracting confessions. One of the detainees, Marong Tseta, reportedly died as a result of intensive torture while in custody, while many others were released only after suffering serious physical abuse and deteriorating health conditions.

On 13 November 2001, the Chamdo People’s Intermediate Court delivered its verdict against Tenzin Khedup and fellow monk Thupten Thabkai, both from Tsamphung Monastery. Tenzin Khedup was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined 29,000 yuan on charges related to the bombing incident. The prosecution portrayed the case as a serious threat to state security and public order, reflecting the Chinese authorities’ broader crackdown on suspected Tibetan political resistance activities in the region.

The case became emblematic of the severe measures employed by Chinese authorities in eastern Tibet during the early 2000s, including arbitrary arrests, torture during interrogation, heavy prison sentences, and collective punishment directed at Tibetan monastic communities accused of political dissent.