| ashu |
Posted
on 23-May-01 11:41 PM
Please help Forefront pressure Chinese Ambassadors to release Tibetan political prisoner Phuntsok Nyidron.
Fifty years ago, on May 23, 1951, the Chinese government imposed the so-called "17 Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on the Tibetan government. The agreement was void under International Law because it was signed under coercion. 40,000 troops of the People's Liberation Army of China, the threat of an immediate occupation of Lhasa and the destruction of the Tibetan state didn't leave much choice to the Tibetans.
While China is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "Peaceful
Liberation of Tibet", we take it as an occasion to commemorate that Phuntsok Nyidron and many other political prisoners remain imprisoned for speaking out against the occupation of Tibet. Tibetans are still being tortured in prison and some have been executed.
For "one-click" action, please see:
http://www.forefrontleaders.org/freedom/phuntsok/052301/index.htm
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION. We encourage you to forward this email to others who might be interested in taking part in our campaign.
Carta para embajadores, en español:
La lettre aux ambassadeurs, en français:
Brief an Botschafter/in in Deutsch:
http://www.forefrontleaders.org/freedom/phuntsok/052301/index.htm
If you don't have web access, please scroll down for sample language for the action:
Dear Ambassador Yang Jiechi:
I am writing to express grave concern about the imprisonment
of Ven. Phuntsok Nyidron, a Tibetan nun and 1995 recipient of
the Reebok Human Rights Award.
In 1989, the Ven. Phuntsok Nyidron was arrested, tortured and
sentenced to nine years in prison for her leadership in a peaceful pro-Tibetan demonstration held in Lhasa. In 1993, after recording Tibetan independence songs while in Drapchi prison, Phuntsok's sentence was extended by eight years. Her 17-year sentence is one of the longest ever reported for female Tibetan political prisoners. Phuntsok reportedly suffers from kidney problems and is in very poor health.
I urge you to respect freedom of expression and religion as stated
in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to do every-
thing possible to help release Phuntsok and other prisoners of
conscience from prison. I urge you to ensure that, at a minimum, Phuntsok is given adequate medical treatment.
Thank you for giving full attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Yang Jiechi
Chinese Ambassador to the United States
2300 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Background of case:
*Ven. Phuntsok Nyidron is a Tibetan Buddhist nun serving
a 17-year sentence in Drapchi Prison. On October 14, 1989,
Phuntsok and five other nuns from Michungri Nunnery held a
peaceful protest in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, against China for
their unlawful occupation of Tibet. Phuntsok and the other nuns
chanted slogans and peacefully marched for a few minutes before
they were arrested. A few years later Phuntsok's sentence was
increased for singing freedom songs in jail with other nuns.
Together, these young prisoners of conscience are known as
the "Drapchi 14."
_____________________________________________________
As always, US citizens can take a "one-click" action to
educate their members of congress:
http://www.forefrontleaders.org/freedom/phuntsok/phuntsok-action.php3
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FOREFRONT: A Global Network
of Young Human Rights Advocates
FOREFRONT is an international advocacy and support network serving leading young human rights activists. FOREFRONT strengthens the work of grassroots human rights advocates by facilitating the exchange of information, skills,and technology and providing technical assistance. The network is comprised
of 60 leaders, ages 17-40, working in 26 countries and representing nearly 50 non-governmental organizations.
Lesley Carson
Director
FOREFRONT
333 7th Avenue, 13th Floor
New York, NY 10001
tel:(212) 845-5273
fax: (212) 253-4244
e-mail: forefront@forefrontleaders.org
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