The Norwegian Tibet Committee has written to Chinese authorities regarding the arrests of Tibetans in Lithang, East Tibet, towards the end of August. -We hope to get a response to our letter, says Chungdak Koren, right, Chairwoman of the Norwegian Tibet Committee. Read the full letter below. (12-SEP-07)
Based on material received from the Norwegian Tibet Committee, this article has been edited for publication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz. Photo of Koren: HRH F / Harbitz.
To:
Ms. Wu Aiying Oslo.11.09.07
Ministry of Justice
No.10 Nandajie, Chaoyangmen
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100020
People´s Republic of China
Governor of Sichuan Province:Jiang Jufen
c/o Protocol and Press Division of Foreign Affairs Office of Sichuan Province
100 Dongsanduan, Yihuanlu,
Chengdu 610021
People´s Republic of China
H. E. Mrs. Gao Jian
Ambassador of the People´s Republic of China
Chinese Embassy in Norway,
Tuengen alle 2b,
0244 Oslo
cc: Norwegian Foreign Ministry
We are writing to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Runggye Adak, a 53 year-old Tibetan from Youru Village, Lithang County, Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in present day Sichuan Province arrested on 1 August 2007, for staging a protest during the annual horse racing festival. We also call for the immediate and unconditional release of Lothok, a Tibetan nomad from Dakar Latse village in Lithang County, detained on 19th August, and of Lupoe, a 45-year old monk from Lithang Monastery and a nephew of Runggye Adak, detained on 21st August, who is reportedly being singled out by officials in Sichuan as being a ´splittist´ force behind Runggye Adak´s protest.
Runggye Adak was formally arrested by the prosecutor´s office of Ganzi Prefecture on 27th August on a charge of “incitement to subvert state power”, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. Further indication of the charges Runggye Adak faces is apparent from a Xinhua article on 3rd August, which reported an unnamed police source as saying that Runggye Adak´s “words and deeds were meant to separate the country and harm national unity and has disrupted public order”.
Far from being a “splittist” as you will no doubt label him, Runggye Adak´s call for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, and for the release of Gedun Choekyi Nyima in his 1st August protest are nothing more then a public expression of what the overwhelming majority of Tibetans, in all the Tibetan areas under the PRC and those outside of Tibet, privately feel. This is evidenced by the fact that eye-witnesses have reported that Tibetans present during Runggye Adak´s protest at the horse festival appeared to be in total agreement with his opinions.
Your handling of Runggye Adak, Lothok, Lupoe and of any other individuals detained in connection with Runggye Adak´s protest will be viewed by the outside world as an indicator of how the Chinese government´s upholds the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people to freely express their opinion and expression as enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. It will also be seen as sign of how much importance the Chinese government attaches to the protection of the Tibetan culture and the respect that you show for sentiments of the Tibetan people.
We will continue to follow closely the developments in the cases of Runggye Adak, Lothok and Lupoe. Further, we will also continue to monitor any signs of further crackdown in Kardze TAP on Tibetans exercising their rights to the freedom of expression and opinion including the cases of O´dho and Apha Bhomo, two women from Othok Village, Nyagchuka County detained on 19th July 2007 for expressing their support for the highly respected Buddhist teacher Tenzin Delek Rinpoche who is currently serving a life sentence. Whilst O´dho and Apha Bhomo were subsequently released from the Nyagchuka County PSB Detention Centre on 27th August, their future well-being remains of concern. If the People´s Republic of China is ever to be respected as leader on the global stage, and a truly worthy Olympic host, you will need to demonstrate to the world that your respect for the rights of the Tibetan people, as set out even in your own laws, extend to more than mere rhetoric. Your current actions reflect nothing more than that of an occupying power brutally suppressing any dissent expressed by the Tibetan people and tarnish your international image.
In recognition of the concerned individuals human rights, we urge you to immediately drop any charges against Runggye Adak, Lothok and Lupoe and release them immediately.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Chungdak Koren
Chairwoman
Den norske Tibet Komité ( Norwegian Tibet Committee)
Menneskerettighethuset ( Humen Rights House )
Tordenskioldsgt 6b
0160 Oslo
Tel: 22479222 Fax: 22479201
Email: info@tibet.no www.tibet.no
