Dharamsala urges international community to request China not to carry out death sentence on two Tibetans
6 December, 2002
DHARAMSALAâ€â€December 6, 2002: The Central Tibetan Administration deeply regrets the Chinese authorities’ act of passing death sentence on two Tibetan political activists in Karze, now part of Sichuan province.
We are surprised that this unfortunate sentence came just when the release of Tibetan three Tibetan political prisoners and visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s delegation to China and Tibet had raised hopes about Beijing’s willingness to resolve the issue of Tibet through dialogues. We sincerely hope that this act will not have a negative impact on the contacts that have been established and the negotiations that we hope will follow.
Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Kalon Tripa, who is on a visit to the United States, said, “Given the background of Tulku Tenzin Delek and Mr. Lobsang Dhondup, the authorities seem to be using un-corroborated charges to clampdown on people who work for the preservation of Tibetan religion, culture and society.” Professor Samdhong Rinpoche expressed his concern that the two Tibetans did not receive a fair trial and has urged Tibet Support Groups around the world to request their governments to ask the Chinese authorities to halt the implementation of the sentence and to provide the two Tibetans with a fair trial as guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.
Whatever Beijing’s explanation for this volte-face, we suspect that it is actually a new strategy to radicalize the Tibetan movement so that it can crack down hard with impunity on the Tibetan people’s expression of their views. Such a mistaken policy is fraught with potential for unleashing an unending cycle of strife and instability.
On December 2, the Karze People’s Intermediate Court handed down death sentence on Trulku Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup after a summary trial. They were charged with masterminding the Chengdu bomb blast of April 3, 2002, and had been taken into custody on April 7.
Trulku Tenzin Delek, one of the most highly revered spiritual figures in Karze, is well known for his open and steadfast loyalty to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has long since engaged in campaigns to improve the plight of the Tibetan people and rejuvenate the Tibetan culture and language.
A report issued by the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy suggests that Trulku accused the court of false allegation and unfair trial. As the court read out his sentence, he shouted, “Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
The human rights monitor reports that the Chinese authorities in the recent years have targeted spiritual leaders for particularly harsh suppression. The spiritual leaders’ abiding opposition to Chinese rule and their influence with the local people mean that China can never hope to intimidate the Tibetan sense of nationalism as long as their spiritual leaders remain strong.
We appeal to the international community to put pressure on the Chinese government to rescind the death sentence. The Tibetan people are committed to resolving the problem of Tibet through peaceful negotiations, and we call upon the Chinese leadership to reciprocate accordingly.
Wang Lixiong, the author of the bestselling book, Yellow Peril, and a Chinese scholar living in China and one who frequently writes extensive articles on the Tibet issue said, “Tulku Tenzi Delek is a lama who is respected by all the people. By putting the label of a terrorist on him and putting him on trial and clamping the death sentence on him the Chinese police might think they have accomplished something great.” Wang Lixiong made these comments on a Chinese language website. Wang Lixiong said that he does not believe that Tulku Tenzin Delek is involved in the bomb blasts. “By this act the Chinese police have used one arrow to kill two deer. The Chinese police have cut Tulku Tenzin Delek down to size and have claimed success in solving the mystery of the April bomb blasts,” Wang Lixiong said.