Beijing has failed to provide accurate figures of Tibetans arrested over the last 18 months. The estimate of more than 1,000 arrested - based on official Chinese statistics - is likely to be a gross underestimation as it only refers to arrests in nine of 49 counties where protests had taken place.

Several hundreds of Tibetans who were rounded up during and after the Spring protests have been put beyond the protection of the law. It allows Chinese authorities to torture and mistreat detainees with impunity behind closed doors. In Tibet disappearances have entrenched a climate of fear and intimidation. Free Tibet is seeing an increasing tendency of self censorship amongst Tibetans, one the few remaining strategies Tibetans have to protect themselves and their families.

The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) agrees with Free Tibet’s findings that the disappeared are at severe risk of torture. In November 2008 the UN CAT reviewed China’s record on torture and stated it remained “deeply concerned” about widespread reports of the “use of torture and ill-treatment of suspects in police custody” in Tibet.

81 year old Paljor Norbu was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on unknown charges in a closed court hearing in November 2008. Paljor, a traditional Tibetan printer, was taken from his home in Lhasa on 31 October on suspicion of printing “prohibited material”. The Chinese authorities have refused to disclose his whereabouts and charges against him. Free Tibet is particularly concerned about his well-being because of his age.

In May 2008 the highly respected monk and community figure, 52 year old Phurbu Rinpoche, was arrested and charged for allegedly possessing an illegal weapon; a crime for which he insists he has been framed. His arrest came four days after 80 nuns from his nunnery protested against the crackdowns taking place against Tibetans at the time. His Chinese lawyers, Li Fangping and Jiang Tianyong, say that his arrest was unlawful, the evidence against him unsound and that he was tortured while in detention. Phurbu Rinpoche’s case was highlighted in June’s Urgent Campaign. Since then, both his Chinese lawyers have had their licenses turned down for renewal by Chinese authorities. The case against Phurbu Rinpoche was postponed after it began and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

TAKE ACTION

The Chinese government has not accounted for over 1,000 Tibetans detained over the last 18 months.
Therefore Free Tibet urges you to write to China’s Minister of Justice and/ or Chinese ambassadors asking them to answer  two simple questions:

    1. How many Tibetans have been detained since the Spring protests 2008 in the 49 county-level areas where protests took place?

    2. What is the current location and status of all Tibetans detained to this day?
   
Please send your letter to:

Ministry of Justice
WU Aiying Buzhang
Sifabu 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China

and: c/o: Chinese Ambassador in your country

For the UK:
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the UK
Madam Fu Ying
49-51 Portland Place
London W1 1JL               


Please send copies of your letters and responses received to Free Tibet to help us monitor the situation. If you would like to receive Urgent Actions by email please write to mail@freetibet.org with SUBSCRIBE URGENT ACTIONS as the subject. 

To make a donation towards the running of the Urgent Action Scheme please go here and under donations choose Urgent Action Scheme for the reason for your donation or send a cheque to Free Tibet, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT, United Kingdom.
 
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