Reports from Tibet indicate that Kalsang Yarphel (39) was convicted by a court in Chengdu in Sichuan province after he took part in concerts and encouraged people to speak and learn Tibetan, a Tibetan official said here.
"Authorities accuse him of singing songs that have political overtones," India-based Tibetan portal Phayul.Com claimed, adding, Yarphel's music arranger was also sentenced to two years in jail.
"Kalsang Yarphel, a popular Tibetan singer from Machu county, was arrested from the Tibetan capital Lhasa in July 2013 for organising musical concerts with a theme to promote Tibetan language," the website quoted Lhamo Kyab, a former political prisoner now living in exile, as saying.