China seeks to take the heat off its human rights record one day after major US Government report and start of EU-China Human Rights Dialogue

[London] Phuntsog Nyidrol (37), the last of the 'Drapchi 14' group of imprisoned nuns was released on 26 February, 2004. She was released one year early having served 15 years in Drapchi prison in Tibet for peaceful protest. She had been due to be released in March 2005.

The timing of Phuntsog's release is significant as it could be viewed as an attempt by China to take the heat off its poor human rights record. China's human rights record was severely criticised as "poor" yesterday in the US State Department's annual Country Report on Human Rights. The report was thought to lay the path for the US tabling a critical resolution on China at the UN Commission of Human Rights meeting in Geneva (15 March - 23 April). Today, also marked the start of the bi-annual EU-China human rights dialogue in Ireland. This dialogue has been much criticised by NGOs for failing to produce substantive results. Indeed, the USA has declined to accept China's invitation to resume their bilateral dialogue on human rights as they believe that it has failed to produce results.

Free Tibet Campaign commented:

"We welcome China's release of Phuntsog Nyidrol, a case that our activists have been working tirelessly on for years. We continue to fear for her health given previous reports of deterioration as a result of torture and poor conditions in Drapchi prison.

"However, China needs to actually address the root causes of human rights abuses in Tibet and the EU must insist that China agrees a further date to meet representatives of the Dalai Lama".

Notes to Editor:

1. Phuntsog Nyidrol was arrested when she was just 20 years old in Lhasa after taking part in a peaceful protest in 1989. She was originally sentenced to eight years. Her sentence was extended by a further eight years after she joined 13 other nuns in secretly recording pro-independence songs that were smuggled out to the outside world in 1993. All received sentence extensions for their part in the recordings. Phuntsog was given a one year sentence reduction in 2001. Phuntsog's release brings the total number of early releases of Tibetan political prisoners to 13 since 2002, five of whom were her fellow Drapchi 14 nuns.

2. The UK will receive visits by the Dalai Lama in May/June 2004. It has also been reported that the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao will visit the UK in the spring (date tbc). He will be the highest-ranking Chinese politician to visit since President Jiang Zemin's controversial state visit in 1999. See Press Centre for details.