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Human Rights Update and Archives
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The flight across the Himalayas to escape the repressions
of Chinese-occupation in Tibet is not the only risk Tibetan
refugees face. Those who, after spending some time living
abroad, choose to return to their homeland, may find
themselves accused of illicit "espionage activities for
western forces and the Dalai clique". Such was the case
for
Ngawang Choephel,
serving 18 years in Drapchi today
for entering Tibet to do research on Tibetan music. One
of his prison mates has a similar story: Ngawang Jungney
is presently serving a nine year sentence in Drapchi for
"being a spy for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile" after
visiting Tibet to undertake study on Tibetan language.
Born in Naydrung village, Damshung county, north-west of Lhasa,
27-year-old
Ngawang Jungney
(ordained name), lay name Tashi Tsering,
later went to India and worked as a
Tibetan language teacher in Dharamsala. He then returned
to Tibet accompanied by a westerner to do further studies
in Tibetan language and joined the University of Tibet in Lhasa.
| Foodgrains - 25 gyama | Butter - 10 gyama |
| Meat - 6 gyama fresh yak meat | Hay - Not fixed |
(1 gyama = 500 grams)
The amount of meat taxed also depends upon the khel of the animal (ie. how much it can carry)."
[ top ]"Re-education" extends to Hermits
A 30-year-old monk (name withheld) from Ewang monastery (popularly known as Chonang monastery) of Phuntsokling township under Lhatse county arrived in India in July 1997. He described how now even religious hermits are being forced to break vows and leave their retreats in order to attend Chinese "Re-education" sessions. The monk disclosed the circumstances by which he was compelled to leave his monastery.
"I first joined the monastery at the age of seven. Only 17 monks are authorised to register in my monastery and although at present there are 37 monks in the monastery, the extra 20 live in secrecy.
The authorities made an announcement that a work team would come to the monastery on April 22 1997, and they actually arrived on the night of April 25. They immediately convened a meeting and ordered the monks that, while the political re-education is underway, the over-all authority of the monastery will be undertaken by us. They said they planned to stay in the monastery for three months, and, if this did not bear fruit, this would be extended to six months and then to one year. They had decided to issue identity cards to individual monks of the monastery and threatened any one who did not comply with their regulations with expulsion.
As soon as the work team arrived the unregistered monks left the monastery for fear of being prosecuted or of risking the closure of the monastery, imposition of heavy fines and the possible harassment of other monks by the county authorities.
Despite repeated appeals by the monks not to disturb the religious hermits who spend years of solitary retreat in the hills, they too were ordered by the Chinese to attend the re-education sessions. Their are three categories of hermit, each with strict rules: some are not supposed to leave their hermit place; some are not supposed to speak out and some are not supposed to eat. All of these monks were forcibly evicted from their hermitages. The hermits were greatly upset by this and some are suffering mental disturbances, some even behave as if they are insane.
The work team comprised of officials from seven government departments. The work team asked us about the Dalai Lama and Avaloketeshwara (the God of Compassion) and said that we must directly oppose the Dalai Lama clique. I responded that I would never oppose His Holiness the Dalai Lama. To do so goes against my Buddhist belief and there would no longer be any point in putting on maroon robes.
They told me that I was the lone person working to split the motherland and after this one of my friends who understands Chinese language overheard Chinese officials saying that I would soon be arrested and would probably be executed or imprisoned. I therefore decided to leave the monastery and, by walking during the night and sleeping during the day, I escaped to India via Mount Kailash. On the way, due to lack of proper food, I was compelled to sell my religious artefacts such as my driphu (religious bell) and dringma (rosary).
Many other monks also left. Because our movements were controlled so strictly, the monks would pretend to be going on pilgrimage in order to get out of the monastery. At present in Chonang monastery there are said to be only three to four monks remaining."
[ top ]Profile: Restaurant manager serves 12 years for "incitement" of youth
When
Tsering Ngodup's
advanced age determined that he could no longer be as
physically active for Tibet, it did not affect his youthful
spirit. In his fifties, Tsering, who ran a restaurant in
Lhasa, would encourage his young customers to raise their
voice for the cause of Tibet and for those who could
sing the best patriotic songs he would prepare special
dishes. Today he is serving a 12 year sentence in Drapchi
Prison for his "counter-revolutionary incitement".
Tsering Ngodup, also known as Pa Tsengon la and simply Pachen, is 65 years old. He was the former manager of the Lhasa Gernyer Restaurant - a restaurant run by the Stone Cutters' Co-operative Society.
Tsering Ngodup resided in the jurisdiction of Pe-ling Municipal Committee in the south of Lhasa, but his place of origin is in Tsona county under Lhoka region. He has a daughter, Dawa, and a son, Gyamtso, who is a monk of Tse Podrang monastery. His wife passed away many years ago.
Tsering Ngodup was arrested by Public Security Bureau officials on 7 April 1989 and was sentenced on 12 September 1989 by the Lhasa City People's Intermediate Court. The court verdict stated that 57 year old Tsering Ngodup "has often engaged in inciting those of the youths such as Penpa, Sonam and Dawa, the regular visitors at the restaurant, by saying that 'If any pro-independence demonstration breaks out, you young people must all take part. I have grown old and, even though I feel like taking an active part in it, my age and feeble body condition bar me from doing so'.
The verdict also found him guilty of "inspiring and inciting counter-revolutionary slogans like 'Tibetan Independence' amongst the youth. He incited the youth to sing patriotic songs and rewarded those who sang the best by providing them with specially prepared dishes."
The verdict found that; "On the morning of 5 March 1989 in particular, without any valid basis, Tsering Ngodup encouraged the youth by saying that the demonstrations had already been started. He called; 'The sun has risen now, you the youth must rise up to participate in the demonstrations.'
"In March 1989 Tsering Ngodup helped the youth Penpa Tsering to transcribe patriotic songs and speeches related to Tibetan Independence and distributed them amongst the youth", the verdict says.
On 13 September 1989, Radio Lhasa reported that during the demonstration Tsering Ngodup had not only "incited reactionary independence songs" and delivered speeches "stirring up separatist emotion", but had also "wantonly robbed, destroyed and set on fire public and private properties, and beat up public security officers. In doing so, [he] ran utterly rampant, seriously disrupting social order and upsetting stability and unity in Lhasa."
He was further accused in the broadcast of contacting Tibetan exile authorities and, upon his return from abroad, alleged to have engaged in "espionage activities". This included the gathering of lists of those detained by the Chinese for interrogation and of those wounded during the demonstrations of March 5 and July 10, 1988 and attempting to send them abroad. He reportedly visited relatives in India in 1987 and wrote a coded letter in October 1988 to the "Security Department of the Dalai Lama clique".
Having found Tsering Ngodup guilty under sections 102 and 52 of China's penal law of "counter-revolutionary activities and threatening the unity of the motherland" and "serious crimes" of inciting young people to participate in demonstrations, the court verdict stressed that "Even under prosecution before the court he did not accept his guilt. He will therefore be punished heavily." Tsering Ngodup was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and four years subsequent deprivation of political rights.
Jamyang Lodroe, a Tibetan refugee who now works as a driver in Dharamsala, India, knew Tsering Ngodup in Tibet and had personally witnessed Tsering Ngodup's state of health. Jamyang reports that Tsering Ngodup now walks staggeringly because of permanent damage in his pelvic bones caused by severe torture inflicted during interrogation.
Tsering Ngodup is currently in the Fifth Division of Drapchi prison. He is due for release in the year 2001 by which time he will be 69 years old. Express your concern over his arbitrary detention due to his political convictions and write to Mr Li Peng, the Chinese Premier, and send it to TCHRD for forwarding.
[ top ]Lhasa's new prison facilities
A new, modern prison has been built in the northern outskirts of Lhasa, ICT has reported following a fact-finding mission to Tibet. Located close to Outridu Prison - Sangyip's Fifth Unit, the new facility has two or three cell blocks of 12 to 14 cells each, and may be the Sixth Unit of the Sangyip complex. The lack of outdoor space suggests that the new prison may be a high security facility. It could also be a city or prefectural level Public Security Bureau detention centre.
ICT also reported that Chinese authorities are building two new cell blocks for Outridu. Each has 16 cells with a likely capacity of 6 to 10 prisoners per cell, expanding capacity by 200 to 300.
