S@turns Blog: Take Action: 2 Ways You Can Help Tibet's Political Prisoners

Dienstag, 6. April 2010

Take Action: 2 Ways You Can Help Tibet's Political Prisoners

International Campaign for Tibet
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(Pressed for time, but still want to help? Jump to the end of this email now.)

Dear hans,

This year, ICT is doubling our efforts to assist as many Tibetan political prisoners as possible . . . and we need your help to do it.

Did you know the Chinese government is deliberately targeting those who simply talk about what is happening inside Tibet?

As part of a wide-ranging crackdown, the Beijing authorities have adopted an increasingly harsh and systematic approach to silencing Tibetans and suppressing all dissent. Virtually any expression of Tibetan identity can be branded as "splittist" or "reactionary" and penalized with a long prison sentence, or worse.

I'm sure you'll agree that the imprisonment of these men and women is an offense to any fair-minded person.

At the U.S. State Department, it is Under Secretary Maria Otero's responsibility to oversee and activate U.S. strategies to seek and secure the release of Tibet's political prisoners. We need your help to show her just how many of us care deeply about Tibetans persecuted for rights that are fundamental to all members of the human family. Sign our petition to Under Secretary Otero now.

She needs to know you care about people like:

Kunchok Tsephel, writer and founder of a Tibetan literary website, sentenced to 15 years in prison. His family doesn't even know why he was sentenced, because his case involved "state secrets" charges. But the real reason for his imprisonment seems to be because of content on his website, which aims to protect Tibetan culture and sharing information about protests in Tibet.

Norzin Wangmo was sentenced to five years in prison. Although full details of the charges against her are unknown, reliable sources have told us she was imprisoned because she talked to people on the phone and internet about the situation in Tibet. We know that Chinese authorities monitor calls and internet use in Tibet as part of a systematic pattern of surveillance and control of Tibetans' everyday lives.

Migmar Dhondup worked with a Tibetan non-profit organization helping impoverished communities. He "disappeared" in March 2008 and no one knew where he was, until months later the official press announced that he had been sentenced to 14 years in prison for "espionage." We believe his "crime" included his passionate concern for nature conservation in Tibet and his efforts to encourage other Tibetans to protect and remember their mother tongue and cultural identity.

Dhondup Wangchen is the filmmaker who made the documentary "Leaving Fear Behind" that was smuggled out of Tibet in early 2008. In the film, Tibetans express their views on the Dalai Lama, the Olympic Games in Beijing, and Chinese laws. Chinese authorities replaced Wangchen's lawyer during his trial and the filmmaker was recently sentenced to six years in prison.

Dolma Kyab is a history teacher and writer, sentenced to ten and a half years for "espionage". The reality is that he wrote an unpublished book about Tibetan geography, history, and religion.

In a letter smuggled out of Tibet, Dolma Kyab wrote: "Chinese officials think that what I wrote about nature and geography was also connected to Tibetan independence. This is the main reason of my conviction. But according to Chinese law, the book alone would not justify such a sentence. So they announced that I am guilty of the crime of espionage."

Imagine if you were not able to talk to your friends or family about things that mattered to you.

Should we ever forget how precious our freedom of speech is, we have only to look at Chinese prisons in Tibet, filled with those who suffer unspeakably for expressing an opinion or sharing news in a private email or phone conversation.

ICT is working with great determination to shed light on these cases, to help improve conditions and to secure the release when possible of Tibetan political prisoners. Our offices in Amsterdam, Berlin and Brussels work with international governments to apply coordinated pressure on China. In Washington, we do the same . . . and we need to press Under Secretary Otero to stand up for Tibetan political prisoners.

Please help our efforts by taking these two important actions right away:

1. Sign ICT's petition to Under Secretary Maria Otero. We need to let her know just how many people believe that making progress for Tibet's political prisoners needs to be a priority for her office.

2. If you can, please make a small donation to ICT to support our stepped up advocacy and field work on behalf of Tibet's prisoners of conscience. Our field network in India and Nepal is both a critical source of information about the situation in Tibet and an important link to Tibetans in Chinese prisons. And our advocacy work elicits results!

Together, it's possible for us to make a real difference in the lives of these courageous Tibetans. I thank you for your loyal and determined support.