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ICLT Action Alert for Ngawang Choephel
A Mother's Appeal to See Her Imprisoned Son
Mrs. Sonam Dekyi is the mother of Ngawang Choephel, the Tibetan musician presently serving an 18-year prison sentence in Tibet. Sonam fled Tibet along with her only son Ngawang in 1968 and since that time has lived as a refugee in South India. Following her son's arbitrary detention in August 1995 and his sentencing one year later, Sonam Dekyi's health has deteriorated.
Thirty year old Ngawang was a Fulbright scholar in ethnomusicology in Vermont. He visited Tibet in July 1995 in order to make a documentary film on Tibetan musical customs and traditional performing arts. He was first reported missing in August 1995 but Chinese authorities acknowledged his detention only on October 15, 1996, more than a year after his arrest. Charged by Chinese authorities with being a spy for the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and committing an "espionage crime" in Tibet, Ngawang was sentenced in December 1996 to 18 years imprisonment.
A single parent with only one child, Sonam Dekyi is now 60 years old. She fears that she may not live long. Her only wish now is to see her son before she dies. This is a right guaranteed to all prisoners under international law. Her appeals to the Chinese government have gone unanswered.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) in Dharamsala, India has launched a signature campaign, urging the Chinese authorities to allow Sonam Dekyi to visit her son in prison. Petitions will be sent to China's President Jiang Zemin.
What You Can Do
To participate, use the text below, get signatures and send your petition to:
President Jiang Zemin
c/o Embassy of Peoples Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008
(please send a copy to ICLT)
Petition text: Mother's visit to her son in Drapchi Prison in Tibet.
We the undersigned call upon the Chinese government to: (1) Allow Ngawang Choephel access to his family. In particular his mother Sonam Dekyi should be granted permission to visit Ngawang Choephel in Drapchi Prison; (2) ensure that Ngawang Choephel receives full legal representation regarding his appeal case as per international standards of due process and fair trail; (3) adhere to international standards of fair and humane detention conditions.
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