Mr. Tharpa (alternatively spelled as Tarpa), 39, and his cousin Ms. Lhamo, 36, in Diru (Ch: Biru) County in Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) City, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) were both detained in June 2020 and Lhamo died in August that year due to custodial torture.

In August 2022, it was learned that Tharpa was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison in a secret trial. He is due for release in December 2022. His family was able to hire a Chinese lawyer but it could not ensure a fair trial for Tharpa, who continued to remain in an undisclosed location without the knowledge of his family members.

Both Lhamo and Tharpa had been detained on the charges of sending money to family members and relatives in India. Although it was common for Tibetans inside Tibet to send money to India for personal and spiritual reasons, it was only in recent years that local Chinese authorities began cracking down more severely on Tibetans maintaining any contact with relatives living in exile, especially in India.

Before his detention in Nagchu County town, Mr. Tharpa was a businessman dealing in medicinal plants and other local products in Chaktse (Ch: Qiaze) Town in Diru.