Content

1996: The year in Tibet

Deaths in Custody
Cases of Torture
Extended Sentences
Disappearances
Arrests and Demonstrations in 1996
Yan Da - China's Strike Hard Campaign in Tibet
The Chinese Criminal Justice System
Strike Hard Campaign in Tibet
Work Teams
Arrests and deaths in custody
Voluntary depopulation
Expulsions
The "Last Battle"
The year ahead
Panchen Lama Reincarnation
Concerning the state of the detained, the PRC government supplied the following information
Chadrel Rinpoche
70 year old monk flees Tibet after 13 years prison
Inmate paralysed from torture
PROFILE - Nun, recipient of human rights award, serving 17 year sentence
Birth Control Policy in Tibet

1996: The year in Tibet

This special end of year issue of the Human Rights Update reviews the grave human rights violations which continued in occupied Tibet throughout 1996 as political arrests, torture, deaths in custody and religious crackdowns were carried out by the authorities of the Peoples Republic of China with renewed vigour.

Deaths in Custody

In 1996, TCHRD recorded three known cases of deaths in custody in Tibet due to torture by prison officials.

On 6 May 1996, 19 year-old SANGYE TENPHEL (lay name: Gonpo Dorje) died due to torture whilst in Drapchi Prison. He was a monk of Khangmar Monastery in Dhamshung, 162 north-west of Lhasa. Sangye Tenphel was severely beaten up with an electric baton and a cycle pump by two prison officials. His ribs were broken during the course of his interrogation and he was reportedly suffering brain damage before his death.

Sangye had been arrested on 15 April 1996 for a demonstration around the Bharkor area in Lhasa.

KALSANG THUTOP, a 49 year-old Drepung monk, died on 5 July 1996. Kalsang could not speak when he returned from a two-hour interrogation session in Drapchi Prison. That night he was rushed to the hospital where he died a few hours later.

Kalsang Thutop was given a sky burial. It was observed by the Topdhen (the person who performs the sky burial) that one of Kalsang Thutop'testicles had been brutally squeezed.

Kalsang was serving an 18-year sentence for his involvement in the 1989 Lhasa demonstrations.

On 14 September 1996 TENCHOK TENPHEL died while in Sakya detention centre just two weeks after his arrest. 27 year-old Tenchok was a monk of Sakya Monastery, 152 km west of Shigatse. He had been arrested on 1 September 1996 during a ritual dance performance before Chinese officials.

Tenchok Tenpel'body was cremated on 17 September before his family could see him. His family was told that he had committed "suicide".

Cases of Torture

In July 1996, DORJEE (family name : Khangtsiri), a 66 year-old man of Tse- Gorthang, 124 km south-west of Chabcha Dzong in Amdo (Ch: Qinghai Province), died after he was beaten up by members of the People'Armed Police and the Public Security Bureau.

The authorities who visited the town raided all of the houses and imposed fines on those Tibetans in whose houses photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama were found. Dorjee, who was incapable of paying the heavy fine ranging from 5000 to 6000 yuan, was told to either pay the amount by 1997 or else half of his land would be confiscated.

When he challenged the authorities, Dorjee was severely beaten and had to be hospitalised. Twenty days later he died.

On 6 May 1996 a monk of Ganden Monastery was shot dead by Chinese troops who opened fire after the monks refused to fall in with the orders regarding the ban on photographs of the Dalai Lama. A bullet entered the lower back of 40-year old KELSANG NYENDRAK who died several days later. Five other monks of Ganden are reported to have received bullet wounds including GELEK JINPA, a 14 year old monk who was also severely beaten up by the police.

KUNCHOK TENZIN is a 31 year old primary school teacher of Tibetan language from Yakla sub county of Sog district, Nagchu. In April 1996 he was released from Nagchu detention centre after spending a over a year in detention.

Kunchok Tenzin'release was prompted by his critical physical condition. While in detention Kunchok was repeatedly tortured which caused severe swelling in his body. Today Kunchok Tenzin cannot walk without support.

Kunchok Tenzin had been arrested in February 1995 on suspicions of his role in the pasting of wall posters calling for a "Free Tibet" in 1995.

On 27 October 1996 YUNGDRUNG, a 24 to 25 year old Tibetan artist was found in a state of severe shock in a public toilet in the Bharkor area of Lhasa. Yungdrung was described as "cowering with terror" when he was discovered, apparently as a result of having been tortured in custody.

Yungdrung had been arrested in connection with his portraits of the Dalai Lama and had spent the previous 58 days in Gutsa Detention Centre.

On 2 April 1996 JAMYANG YESHI, a student monk of the "Nga-rig Kye-tsel-ling" school at Kumbum monastery was released for medical reasons after two weeks of detention. Jamyang Yishe was among the group of 25 students of the school who were arrested and detained for pasting independence posters and leaflets in the monastery.

Jamyang Yishe was reported to be in coma when he was released earlier than the other student monks and is said to have remained unconscious for some days following his release.

Extended Sentences

NGAWANG SANGDROL is a 19 year-old nun from Garu Nunnery who is presently in Drapchi Prison. On 3 July 1996 she was sentenced to an additional nine years imprisonment.

Ngawang had reportedly refused to stand up when an official entered her prison cell and later, when she and other nuns were punished for not cleaning their rooms, had shouted "Free Tibet".

Ngawang Sangdrol was first sentenced to three years imprisonment in June 1992 for attempting to stage a demonstration in the Bharkor area of Lhasa. In September 1993 her sentence was increased by six years for singing and recording nationalistic songs while in Drapchi Prison with 13 other nuns.

Ngawang Sangdrol is now serving a total sentence of 18 years, the longest known sentence of any Tibetan female political prisoner.

NGAWANG PEKAR, a 34 year-old Drepung monk, was half way through an eight year sentence in Drapchi Prison when it was extended by six years.

In August 1995 Ngawang had been caught trying to smuggle a list of political prisoners and a document describing human rights violations in the prison out of Drapchi.

He was subsequently placed in solitary confinement for four months at Outridu Detention Centre after which he was moved once again to Drapchi.

Ngawang Pekar was originally arrested on 12 July 1989 for putting up independence posters and participating in a demonstration. Following his sentence extension on 13 March 1996, Ngawang is now serving a total sentence of 14 years.

Disappearances

Four student monks of "Nga-rig Kye-tsel-Ling school (English translation: Flourishing Garden of Five Knowledges) at Kumbum Monastery in Amdo region have disappeared since their arrest in mid-March 1996. The monks had been arrested along with 21 other student monks of the monastery who were later released in early May 1996.

The four monks - 27 year old Dhamchoe Gyatso, editor of the magazine; Jigme Tendar aged 29; Dhamchoe Kalden aged 31 and Phuntsog aged 25 have been accused of publishing a literary magazine which has now been labelled as "counter-revolutionary" and banned. Almost 10 months after their arrest, the whereabouts of the monks remain unknown.

The following political prisoners have disappeared since their arrest in 1995 and their whereabouts remain unknown.

Jangchub Gyaltsen, a 31 year old tailor at Sera Monastery, arrested in April-May 1995; Lungtok a 21 year old monk of Rongbo Monaster arrested in July 1995; Lobsang Namgyal, a former monk of Nechung Monastery, arrested in February 1995 and Ngawang Thonglam, a former monk of Ganden Monastery, arrested in February 1995.

Ngawang Choephel, a Tibetan musician and scholar, travelled to Tibet in 1995 to research music and performing arts. He was arrested on suspicion of "illegal separatist activities", but 15 months later has yet to be charged or tried. The PRC has not responded to enquiries as to his whereabouts.

Other cases of disappearances include Gendun Chokyi and his parents and Chadrel Rinpoche. This case is detailed on pages nine and ten ("The Panchen Lama Reincarnation") of this update.

Arrests and Demonstrations in 1996

January

*Nine monks of Palgon Chorten in Gyangtse arrested in January for burning photos of Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama rival.

*One monk and one layperson arrested in Shigatse on 18 January for "communicating with the Dalai Lama regarding the Panchen Lama reincarnation issue".

March

*Jigme Gyatso (also known as Gangya Jigme), a 34 year old Amdo businessman, and Jamyang Tsultrim (layname- Tashi Tsering), a 27 year old Amdo monk, arrested in Lhasa in March for distributing leaflets demanding independence. They are reported to be in Sangyip ("TAR"s Prison No. 3).

*25 student monks arrested from "Nga-rig Kye-tsel-Ling" school at Kumbum Monastery, Amdo, in March of this year. 21 of the monks were released on 5 May 1996, however Dhamchoe Gyatso (27), Jigme Tendar (29), Dhamchoe Kaldan (31) and Phuntsok (25) are believed to still be in detention. The monks were arrested for pasting wall posters and leaflets and for producing a literature magazine which was banned.

May

*Between 85 and 90 monks of Ganden Monastery were arrested for protesting the ban on the possession or display of pictures of the Dalai Lama in May.

May/June

*Bhu Chung Chung, a 25-30 year old teacher at Gyangtse Primary School was arrested for printing and distributing long life prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima (the child recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama ) composed by the Dalai Lama. Bhu Chung Chung was detained at Dun-Chog Dre Detention Centre, Gyangtse.

June

*Lobsang Jamyang, a 50 year old monk of Kirti Monastery from Thawa village and Gonpo, a 43 year old layperson, were arrested in Amdo Ngaba for pasting wall posters and distributing pamphlets calling for independence. Wooden printing blocks inscribed with "Tibetan Independence" were found in Gonpo's house.

*Four nuns of Lhasa Tsang Khung Nunnery were arrested on 13 or 14 June. Namdol Choesang (16) from Toelung; Phuntsok (18) from Phenpo; Yangdrol (18) from Phenpo and Pema (16) from Kongpo. They were arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area, raising slogans of "Free Tibet" and are detained in Drapchi Prison.

July

*Four nuns of Chubsang Nunnery were arrested on 1 July. Phuntsok Youdron (20) from Meldo Gongkar; Thinley Yangkyi (18) from Rading; Nyida Wangmo (17) from Lhokha and a fourth unnamed nun were arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area of Lhasa.

*Four more nuns of Chubsang Nunnery were arrested the following day on 2 July. Jamphel (22) and Lobsang Choedon (17), both from Taktse; Tsering Lhamo (20) from Rading and a fourth unknown nun were arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area.

*Seven monks of Karze Monastery were arrested in July for distributing "Free Tibet" pamphlets. Two of the monks - Pasang (32) and Topgyal (20) are from Yokzok village in Karze. Five of the arrested monks released after a week.

*Lama Jigme Sangpo of Golok Sethar Nubsur Monastery was arrested on 5 July for pasting wall posters calling for "Free Tibet".

*On 6 July eight nuns of Garu Nunnery, north of Lhasa, were arrested by PSB (Public Security Bureau) and PAP (People's Armed Police) officials who beat up the nuns before taking them to prison. The nuns were arrested for staging an independence demonstration coinciding with the 61st birth anniversary of the Dalai Lama, in front of the Jokhang temple in Lhasa.

*Four more monks of Sera Monastery were arrested at some time in July. Lobsang Nyima (layname: Migmar Yugyal), aged 40 from Tsang Rinpung; Bhu Tsering (30) from Phenpo; Lobsang Samten (25) from Meldo Gongkar and Tashi Pheldar, the caretaker at Sera, were arrested for protesting against the Work Inspection Team's campaign of "patriotic education".

*Five people (three monks and two laypeople) were arrested at Sera Monastery on 18 July. Lobsang Sherap (layname: Norbu), the caretaker; Ngawang Woser (layname: Buchung) from Toelung; Kalsang (33) from Nyemo; and a boy and a girl working as printers at the monastery (names not known), were arrested for pasting wall posters with slogans of "Free Tibet", "Denial of religious freedom" and "Human rights in Tibet".

August

*Yungdrung, a 24 or 25 year old Tibetan artist was detained in Gutsa for 58 days and later found in a traumatised condition in a public toilet in the Bharkor, Lhasa on October 27. Yungdrung was arrested in connection with his portraits of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan national flag and, after being severely tortured in prison, is presumed to have been released on 27 October, the same day he was found.

*On 23 August, Gendun Gyaltsen, a monk from Sakya Monastery was arrested for possession of pictures and cassette tapes of the Dalai Lama in his room. He was released after a week of detention and expelled from the monastery.

*Three Tibetans in Chamdo region were arrested for "counter-revolutionary activities" on 25 August. A Lhasa Radio broadcast of 6 October mentioned the arrest of 164 "criminals" (a term which is also used to describe political activists or "splittists") in the Chamdo region, however we have included only 3 cases as it is not clear whether the others were arrested in connection with political activity.

August/October

*The arrest of 13 monks of Drepung Monastery occurred sometime between August and October. Yeshi Jangchub (23), Ngawang Sangpo (30) and Gyaltsen Yeshi (20), all from Meldro Gongkar county; Ngawang Tharchin (25) and Ngawang Lhundup from Dhamshung county; Ngawang Shakya and Jamphel Wangchug from Rinpung county; Phuntsok Tashi, Phuntsok Jamdhen and Ngawang Gyatso (34), from Phenpo Lhundrup county; Thinley Kaldan from Chushul county; Ngawang Thupwang from Lhokha Danang county and Ngawang Choegyal from Kham (Eastern Tibet) were arrested during the "re-education" campaign of the Chinese "Work Inspection Team". The monks were arrested for disagreeing with the Work Inspection Team, in particular for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama and for pasting wall posters calling for a "Free Tibet".

September

*Tenchok Tenphel, a 27 year old monk of Sakya Monastery, was arrested at a political re-education session on 1 September. He died two weeks later on 14 September in the Sakya Detention Centre due to torture. The cause of death was given as "suicide".

November

*Six monks of Sera Monastery arrested for disagreeing with the "Work Inspection Team" stationed in the Monastery.

November/December

*Lhundrup Palden, a monk of Ganden Choekor Monastery in Ringon, Namling county, 50 km north-east of Shigatse, and two of his students were arrested for distributing long prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima composed by the Dalai Lama.

*It is to be noted that most of the above information on arrests and demonstrations have been reported from Central Tibet, the area which the Chinese have defined as the "Tibet Autonomous Region". The above statistics do not represent the true figures of the number of arrests in 1996, as these are only the known cases recorded. Due to strict control in Tibet, reception of information is particularly difficult and reporting on any such incident may endanger the lives of the people inside Tibet. Unless we have received reports of release we have assumed a person to be still in detention.

Yan Da - China's Strike Hard Campaign in Tibet

In April 1996, the government of PRC launched the nation-wide "Strike Hard" or "Crack Down Severely On Crimes" campaign (Chinese: Yan Da), targeted at crushing corruption and crime. Within Tibet Chinese authorities have focused on the so-called "splittists" - individuals who support Tibetan independence and the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Implementation of sub-campaigns such as the "Patriotic Re- education" campaign in Tibet has led to widespread arrests and expulsions of monks and nuns who have refused to be "re-educated" along Chinese communist lines.

The Chinese Criminal Justice System

Strike Hard has been made possible by the serious lack of justice prevailing in the PRC'judicial system; its judiciary, lawyers and criminal procedure.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) exerts a pervasive influence on the judiciary. By law, all members must be members of the CCP and all political cases are adjudicated by a Political and Law Commission comprised of members of the judiciary, the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and the Procuracy.

Judges are not required to have any formal legal training and most judges have a PSB or Army background. The judiciary is expected to actively take part in Government campaigns with the result that the degree of punishment received often depends upon whether a campaign is in progress.

As with the judiciary, lawyers are under the pervasive influence of the CCP and the Provisional Regulations on Lawyers 1980 describe lawyers as "servants of the State". Lawyers may not defend their clients against "justified" legal charges with the result that their role is often limited to merely arguing for a lighter sentence. To do otherwise is to risk punishment.

A number of proposed changes to the criminal procedure purporting to strengthen the rights of the accused are due to be introduced in January 1997. However there is widespread concern that the new legislation will similarly provide for arbitrary detention and politically motivated prosecution.

Strike Hard Campaign in Tibet

The main sub-campaign of Strike Hard within Tibet is the so-called "Patriotic Re-education Campaign" and follows from the earlier campaign which banned photographs of the Dalai Lama.

On 26 January 1996 the order was given by the "Tibet Autonomous Region"s" Department of Culture to the Norbulinka and Potala Palace to remove all photographs of the Dalai Lama. Following this order, the ban was extended to public institutions and private homes.

On 7 May 1996 a Chinese "Work Team" (Chinese : gongzuo dui) arrived at Ganden Monastery, tasked with removing all photographs of the Dalai Lama. The monks refused to co-operate, sparking off a riot. One monk, Kelsang Nyendrak, died after being shot by Chinese authorities, and five other monks, including 14 year-old Gelek Jinpen, received bullet wounds. Reports of arrests of monks range from 85 to 90. A few months later a number of monks were expelled as "fugitives".

While some of those arrested were released in the following months (eight in June, three on 23 July and 15 on 30 August), 15 are known to be still in custody."Re-education" Campaign:

The "Patriotic Re-education" campaign aims not just to strike at the heart of Tibet'spiritual culture, but also to clamp down on the powerful dissident movement that has taken root in many monastic institutions.

The campaign has enforced laws restricting entrance to monasteries and introduced a political pledge with five principles:

1. Opposition to separatism

2. Unity of Tibet and China

3. Recognition of the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama

4. Denial that Tibet was or should be independent

5. Agreement that the Dalai Lama is destroying the unity of the people

The effect of both of these measures is to de-populate the monasteries. Monks are given red cards if they assent to the principles. They are subsequently allowed unrestricted travel within China and are seen by the Chinese as having "great belief and love for their country and religion".

Those who refuse receive a green (sometimes described as blue) card which restricts travel to within the region of domicile.

Work Teams

As part of the re-education process, it is common practice for Chinese "work teams" to be sent into monasteries to instruct monks on the evils of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan nationalism. Should the monks refuse to be "re-educated", they may suffer harassment, expulsion or arrest.

Monks are asked to study the following materials issued by the Chinese authorities: "A Brief Explanation and Proclamation on Tibetan History" [Tibetan: bod kyi lo rgyus sgrog sbyang 'grel bshad kyi gnad bsdus]; "A Brief Explanation and Proclamation on Opposing Splittism" [kha phral la ngo rgol bya rgyu'i sgrog sbyang 'grel bshad kyi gnad bsdus]; "A Brief Explanation on Legal Knowledge" [khrims lugs shes bya'i sgrog sbyang 'grel bshad kyi gnad bsdus] and "A Brief Explanation and Proclamation on Religious Policy" [chos lugs srid 'jus kyi sgrog sbyang 'grel bshad kyi gnad bsdus].

Work teams in the following monasteries have been reported:

Drepung - a 180 person team (some Tibetans but mostly Chinese) which arrived on 1-2 August 1996 was holding group lectures and also engaging in private tutoring whereby a group of officials focus on a single monk; putting questions, issuing threats and inquiring about the activities and attitudes of other monks. Work team officials were pressuring young monks to give up their studies and return home. Some Drepung monks resigned in advance of written examinations requiring the denunciation of the Dalai Lama.

Gyantse - a 15 member work team had been in residence since early July. They were lecturing three evenings a week and were planning to stay for three months.

Shalu - a team of five in residence.

Sakya - a 20 member work team had been there for one month conducting daily "political" sessions from 3 to 7 p.m. The sessions were due to end in mid-October. Sakya nunnery also has a work team of three officials giving daily lessons.

Sera - a work team of 70 officials arrived in June and have held main sessions three tmes a week. Attendance slips are kept and monks must write their own biography, give a thumbprint and sign the five points. In order to illustrate the benefits of Chinese rule in Tibet, officials at Sera reportedly employ educational techniques such as visits to Lhasa'military hospital and modernisation projects in Lhasa. Armed officials or police are said to be deployed on rooftops around the monastery during all sessions. In November 1996, five Sub-Committees - Health, Finance, Culture, Security and Education - were added to the Democratic Management Committee of Sera Monastery, presumably to further disempower the monks.

Nechung - a work team comprising seven officials, all Tibetans.

Ganden - For six months from May to October 1996, Ganden Monastery was closed to outsiders. Chinese military personnel camped in tents at the foot of the hill where the monastery is situated. No communication was allowed between the monastery and the outside.

Samye - a work team was sent in July/August.

Sangdog Palre - Four member "work team" in residence. They are to remain for 3 years.

Arrests and deaths in custody

Unofficial media figures report at least 2,200 executions and thousands of heavy prison sentences across China since Strike Hard's launch. Within Tibet, there are reports of more than 110 arrests and at least two deaths in 1996 in connection with the campaign. 24 of the arrests were a direct result of monks questioning a work inspection team's form of education.

In July 1996, Dorjee (family name: Khangtsiri), aged 66, died after he was beaten up by members of the People'Armed Police and the Public Security Bureau. He had been unable to pay a fine imposed for the possession of photos of the Dalai Lama. The second death was that of Kelsang Nyendrak, a monk shot in the Ganden Monastery riot in May.

In July three monks and two laypeople were arrested at Sera monastery for pasting wall posters and protesting denial of religious freedom. Also in July four other Sera monks were arrested for protesting against the work inspection team's campaign.

In Drepung monastery, 13 monks are known to have been arrested during the re-education campaign. Ngawang Tharchin, aged 25, was detained in September apparently as a result of contesting a statement that Tibet has been part of China since the Yuan dynasty. Ngawang was arrested two weeks later, sentenced without trial to three years re-education through labour on about 25 October 1996 and is believed to be in Trisam Prison, 10 km west of Lhasa.

Another Drepung monk, Gyaltsen Yeshe aged about 20, was reportedly sentenced to three years at the same time for a related offence. The fate of two other Drepung monks; Yeshe Jangchub (23), detained on 20 August, and Ngawang Choegyal (layname Gyatso), aged 34 and detained on 30 August, remains unclear.

There are unconfirmed reports of deaths in an incident at Ganden Choekor monastery in Ringon, Namling county. A monk called Lhundrup Palden is reported to have been arrestd In November or December along with two of his students after he distributed a long-life prayer for the child recognised by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. Another report, unverified, said that two student monks had drowned after they had jumped into a river to escape from police.

It was reported that two arrests and one death in custody have resulted from the re-education sessions at Sakya monastery. On 23 August the caretaker-monk of Sakya'main chapel, Gendun Gyaltsen, was arrested during a political meeting after pictures and cassettes of the Dalai Lama were found in his room. Gendun Gyaltsen was placed in "thumbcuffs" and led away by police. One week later, after his release, he was expelled.

Tenchok Tenphel, a 27 year-old monk, was reportedly arrested at Sakya monastery on 1 September 1996 in front of a re-education session. He was held in the Sakya County Prison where he died on 14 September. While police said that he had committed suicide, local sources allege that he had died as a result of abuse in prison and no autopsy was carried out.

Thupten Tsering from Sera monastery reports that in November 1996 six monks of Sera Monastery were arrested following a disagreement with the Work Inspection Team.

Sometime in September 1996, according to a former monk, 14 monks of Ganden monastery were transferred to Drapchi Prison after sentences of up to eight years were imposed on them. Another 12 to 13 monks were moved to Trisam Detention Centre where the highest sentence imposed was three years.

Voluntary depopulation

Many monks have chosen to voluntarily leave monasteries rather than renounce their spiritual leader.

Tsering Dawa, who was working at Samye monastery during the re-education campaign reported to TCHRD that in July / August 1996, a "work team" was sent in to Samye monastery. Tsering'brother, Tenzin Dorjee, was a 25 year-old monk and disciplinary in charge of the dialectical class at Samye. The "work team" distributed questions to the monks testing their beliefs. On 10 September 1996 Tsering found his brother missing, his whereabouts unknown, and said he suspected this was a result of Tenzin Dorjee'vehement opposition to these questions.

Tenzin Bhagdo, aged 23, from Drepung monastery told TCHRD that a "work team" was sent in to Drepung on 2 August 1996. "During the campaign each monk was called to a secluded place and was individually interrogated by a member of the "work team". The questions aim to oppose His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to denounce the Panchen Lama reincarnation recognised by His Holiness. Each monk was interrogated three times. If one does not give a satisfactory answer on the third time, he will not only be debarred from the monastery but is also sure to be put behind bars", he said. Tenzin left the monastery before his third interrogation for fear of being imprisoned.

Expulsions

Waves of expulsions have taken place throughout Tibet in 1996 as part of "Strike Hard". Reports of expelled monks total 543 and Chinese authorities have targeted young religious initiates in particular.

It is reported that a monastic school in Kumbum Monastery, Amdo region, of 200 pupils was closed on 6 May 1996. 100 of the students, all unregistered monks, were subsequently expelled.

According to a TCHRD source, Rev. Palden Dhondup, the 80 year-old abbot of Chubsang Nunnery north of Lhasa, was expelled from Chubsang in July 1996.

On 30 August 1996 at Ganden Monastery 92 monks were expelled, including 15 monks (released that day) who had been imprisoned in May following protests at the monastery. No reasons were given and the monks were told that, because they had turned against the nation, they could not rejoin a monastery and that they could not go to Lhasa unless they were originally from that city.

Sonam Choephel, a Ganden monk now living in India, said that political officials decided which monks to expel based on the monk'willingness to reform, his attitude to the Chinese and his denunciation of the Dalai Lama.

On 31 August 1996 a second group of around 60 or 70 Ganden monks, most of them below the age of 15, were expelled. There are presently about 300 monks in Ganden and, as this is 100 less than the official ceiling of 400, this suggests that both registered and unregistered monks are being expelled.

In late November 1996, Tsultrim Gyaltsen, a 20 year-old monk from Dunbhu Choekhor Monastery (or Sakya Monastery) in Chideshol in Lhokha district told TCHRD that he and three other monks had refused to sign a document which denounced the Dalai Lama and rejected Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama and were consequently expelled.

On 23 August 1996, the caretaker-monk of Sakya monastery'main chapel, Gendun Gyaltsen, was reportedly arrested after pictures and tapes were found in his room. One week later, after his release, he too was expelled.

A Drepung monk has reported that 216 monks have been expelled from Drepung monastery in 1996.

Other TCHRD sources similarly report that Drepung monks under 15 or 16 years of age have recently been expelled. These sources report that other monks were warned that if they failed to accept the five point political pledge by 25 December 1996 they would also be expelled.

Thupten Tsering, a former Sera monk now in India reports that on 17 November 1996, eight Sera monks from Toelung (12 km west of Lhasa) below the age of 16 were expelled from the monastery.

Similarly, he reports, on 18 November 1996 18 more Sera monks from Phenpo Lhundrup (135 km north of Lhasa), all below the age of 16, were expelled.

Then on 19 November 1996, 33 monks below the age of 16, originating from Lhasa and near-by regions, were expelled from Sera monastery.

On 20 November 1996, Sera monks below the age of 16 from Meldo Gongkar, 73 km east of Lhasa, were to be expelled but Thupten did not have more definite information regarding this incident.

In Sera Monastery 515 monks have been issued red passes and allowed to continue in the monastery. The rest of the monks are believed to have been issued green passes and remain in the monastery under certain conditions. The pleas of other monks of Sera Monastery to the authorities not to expel the novice monks went unheeded. The expelled monks who have some knowledge and experience have been stripped of all rights to perform religious ceremonies in their native villages.

The "Last Battle"

In January 1996 Chinese religious authorities warned, "Those who make use of religion to interfere with administrative, judicial, martial, educational and other social affairs, especially those who take advantage of religious reasons to split the country, must be severely cracked down upon according to law". (Xinhua News Agency)

Three immediate tasks were identified in order to "clean-up problems in religion" in 1996: to order all places of worship to register; to deal with difficult religious problems of public concern; and to cultivate contingents of young patriotic religious preachers.

In November 1996 the Tibet Central Committee launched a "Last Battle" against the Dalai Lama, aimed at eradicating any vestiges of the exiled spiritual leader'influence from all levels of society. Their report stipulated that theanti-splittist campaign, launched in the region'monasteries this year, must be broadened.

The Committee signalled the adoption of "administrative measures to resolve the uncontrolled proliferation of religious festivals and shrines", stressed the strengthening of controls over daily life in Tibet and the close supervision of literature and the arts.

The Committee vowed to deal severely with "any monks or nuns whose religious activities or superstitions affect industrial production or daily life" and identified Tibetan youth as the key battleground.

The year ahead

This latest campaign by China against Buddhist monks and nuns in Tibet, under the guise of uprooting so-called splittism, intends, by forcing the closure of many monasteries and restricting religious practice, to further strike at the root of the cultural and spiritual identity of the Tibetan people.

It seems certain that, should this most recent assault in the ongoing onslaught of the PRC against the Tibetans not yield the desired results, it will not be the last. This is a sentiment shared by China's top judge, President Ren Jianxin of the Supreme People's Court, who, in mid- December 1996, vowed, "On the basis of our successful experiences this year, we will continue to deepen the 'Strike Hard' campaign ... The key task for next year is to eliminate all threats to social stability by asserting complete control over the public order situation throughout the country."

Panchen Lama Reincarnation

On 14 May 1995, His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced the discovery of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, a six year-old boy from Lhari in Nagchu, north-eastern Tibet, as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, Tibet's second highest spiritual figure.

Gendun Choekyi Nyima is believed to have been escorted to Beijing by Chinese security forces from his home within days of the announcement. The Chinese government subsequently rejected the Dalai Lama's authority to select the reincarnation and on 8 December 1995 enthroned a different child, Gyaltsen Norbu, as the official Panchen Lama.

Youngest Political Prisoner

The PRC admitted for the first time on 28 May 1996 that it is holding the missing Tibetan child, just over one year after the child and his family first disappeared and following 12 months of denial by Beijing.

China'announcement came in response to a formal question by the UN Committee for the Rights of the Child which met in May 1996 to consider whether the PRC has complied with its legal obligations under the Convention for the Rights of the Child to which the PRC is a State Party.

Beijing said the child was being held to prevent him from being kidnapped. "He has been put under the protection of the government at the request of his parents", PRC'Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Wu Jianmin, said.

According to the Official Chinese News Agency, Mr Jianmin said, "The boy was at risk of being kidnapped by separatists and his security had been threatened", but did not reveal why the government had not previously admitted that it was holding the child nor where the child and his family are being held. No independent observer has had access to them since they were last seen in May 1995.

The UN Committee'Vice-Chairman described the Chinese statement as "not very positive when it comes to finding a peaceful solution to this conflict", and its Rapporteur supported a request that the PRC allow a UN representative to "visit the family and provide assurance". There has been no public response by the PRC to the request thus far.

Arbitrary Detentions

The effects of the Panchen Lama dispute continued throughout 1996 in Tibet. At midnight on 15 March 1996, four student monks were taken from their quarters in Kumbum monastery in Qinghai province (which includes most of the Tibetan region of Amdo) by a squad of 13 police. Damchoe Gyatso (27), Jigme Tendar (29), Phuntsog (25) and Damchoe Kalden (31), believed to be still in detention, were accused of producing pro-independence posters and leaflets containing prayers for the long life of the Panchen Lama whose birthplace is about 75 km from Kumbum. The handwritten posters condemned China'intervention in the Panchen Lama succession and the writers promised to oppose any attempt to bring the "fake reincarnation" - the child named by the Chinese government as the official reincarnation - to Kumbum, where the previous Dalai Lama had been enthroned.

In total there were some 48 persons detained for involvement in the case of the reincarnated Panchen Lama. These cases were referred to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in September 1995, and subsequently transmitted by the Working Group to the PRC government. The PRC government claimed, in its reply received in May 1996, that Chinese authorities had scrupulously adhered to the sentiments of the Tibetan people and the religious rites of Tibetan Buddhism in their choice of Panchen Lama.

They criticised the Dalai Lama as having "confounded every established procedure by unilaterally proclaiming his own choice of the reincarnated child" and said, "Fortunately this irregularity was quickly denounced by the central government". The Dalai Lama'proclamation was considered "illegitimate and without effect".

The Chinese" choice of the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama took place "strictly in accordance with religious ritual", the governmental reply stated. "Fa from undermining religious freedom, therefore, it was in fact an expression of the Chinese government'strict observance of religious freedom."

The Chinese government reiterated its claim that the child recognised by the Dalai Lama was in grave danger from "Tibetan separatists in exile, ever conspiring to despoil ethnic harmony, drive Tibet into turmoil and eventually split up China", and that a few "unscrupulous souls" had even tried to smuggle the boy abroad.

It was, the government stressed, "in response to the parents" appeal to the government for protection, that security measures had been taken to protect the boy, his parents and other members of the family." Despite giving no indication of the whereabouts of thefamily or the conditions under which they were being kept, the reply concluded that, "At present, they are leading normal lives and enjoying perfect health."

Concerning the state of the detained, the PRC government supplied the following information;

* That Champa Chung-la, Samdrup (a businessman from Shigatse), Thupten Dapa (layname Gonpo) and Topgyal had been placed under investigation "for suspicion of revealing important state secrets" in violation of the Chinese Criminal Law, but that the latter two had been taken off the investigation list.

* That the following had been sentenced to prison terms "for taking part in disturbing social order and obstructing state officials from fulfilling their functions" thus violating the Criminal Law: Lobsang Tendor (layname Tendor), Gendun Gyatso (Gendun), Sherab Cheme (Buchung), Lobsang Choedak (Chungdag) and Thubten Kalsang/Shepa Kalsang (also known as Lobsang Phuntsog).

* That the following 19, previously under investigation for "disturbing social order and obstructing state officials from fulfilling their functions", had been released: Gyatrul Lobsang Gyalpa (layname: Gyatrul Rinpoche, a lama from Tashilhunpo monastery), Lobsang Youden (Lhakpa Tsering); Lobsang Nyendak (Ringkar Ngawang), Lobsang Cholang (Ngodrup), Lobsang Tenzin (Tenzin); Lobsang Sherab (Sherab); Lobsang Tashi (Tashi Dondrup); Sherab Phuntsog (Tsering Phuntsog); Lobsang Phuntsog (Sonam Phuntsog); Lobsang Palju (Lobsang Tseten); Lobsang Wangchug (Wangchug); Pema Dorje; Lobsang Lungdog (Lhakpa Tsering); Lobsang Gyaltsen (Lobsang Dawa), Champa Samden (Tsering Gonpo), Lobsang Dorje (Dorje Gyaltsen) (all monks from Tashilhunpo monastery); Lobsang Yangphel (Pema), Lobsang Tenzin (Champa Tenzin), Lobsang Dadoi (Penpa Tsering).

The government failed to give details regarding eighteen unnamed persons reportedly detained for involvement in the case of the reincarnated Panchen Lama.

Chadrel Rinpoche

Chadrel Rinpoche was abbot of Tashilhunpo monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, and was appointed leader of the Search Committee for the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama by the Chinese authorities more than six years before the Dalai Lama'announcement.

The PRC governmental reply stated that Chadrel Rinpoche, after leaving Beijing in mid-May 1995 to return to Tibet had "suddenly taken ill and had to be hospitalized. Considering the fragile state of his health, the Managing Committee of the Tashilhunpo Monastery thought it best to relieve him of his function as Administrator. He is at present under medical care."

In contrast with this official response, Chadrel Rinpoche has reportedly been in detention since May 1995 on suspicion of having communicated with the Dalai Lama in exile regarding the choice of the reincarnation. He has been accused in newspaper articles of "manipulating religious rituals and the historical convention".

On 22 May 1996, Chadrel Rinpoche was stripped of his membership of the Sixth "TAR" CPPCC (Chinese People'Political Consultative Committee) and removed from his post as Vice-Chairman because he "went against the fundamentl stand of the nation and lost his political direction". The announcement of 24 May 1996 on Radio Lhasa added that "In doing this, we have purged the CPPCC of bad elements and have made it clean...". He had already been replaced in July 1995 as head of Tashilhunpo monastery'management committee.

A source reported that in October 1996 the "TAR" United Front officials visited Chengdu, Sichuan Province headquarters and met with Chadrel Rinpoche. When asked what his expectations were Chadrel Rinpoche reportedly replied that he had no idea of his fate. He clarified that he had only worked in accordance with the Chinese government and so was not guilty. Rinpoche said, "You do not have to worry about me. I have no expectations. If I had any expectations, I would not be in this situation."

A large number of monks have also left or been expelled from their monasteries throughout 1996 for refusing to denounce Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation. In January 1996, nine monks from a monastery in Shigatse were reportedly detained after burning pictures of seven year-old Gyaltsen Norbu, the boy chosen by the Chinese authorities.

70 year old monk flees Tibet after 13 years prison

Thupten Tsering is a 70 year-old monk, formerly of Sera monastery. He arrived in Dharamsala on December 18, 1996 and spoke with TCHRD the next day.

Thupten Tsering entered Sera Monastery at the age of seven. From 1956 to 1959 he served as the treasurer or storekeeper at the monastery. During the 1959 uprising, Thupten Tsering and others were arrested but later released.

In 1966 Thupten Tsering was arrested for the second time for trying to escape to India with documents verifying the inception of the Cultural Revolution in Tibet. This time Thupten Tsering was sentenced to seven years which he spent first in Gutsa Detention Centre and then in Outridu Detention Centre (within Sangyip prison complex). From his release until 1979 he was deprived of his political rights and all of his movements were monitored and restricted.

In December 1987 Thupten Tsering and Yulo Dawa Tsering, a senior monk of Ganden Monastery, were arrested for speaking to two visitors (a Tibetan monk and an Italian tourist) and for allowing them to take video footage of the interview. Thupten said, "Among other things, I mentioned that in Tibet we do not enjoy religious freedom as is claimed by China. The Tibetan people are neither happy nor prospering. Prices of essential commodities are high and the people are poor. I requested His Holiness the Dalai Lama not to return to Tibet as it is not safe."

Both Thupten Tsering and Yulo Dawa Tsering were charged under Article 102 (2) of China's Criminal Law for spreading "counter-revolutionary propaganda". On 18 January 1989, Thupten Tsering was sentenced to six years with deprivation of political rights for two years. Yulo Dawa Tsering was sentenced to 10 years.

Thupten Tsering was first detained in Seitru Detention Centre (within Sangyip) for over a year. While in Seitru, Thupten Tsering and Yulo Dawa Tsering were kept apart, each in solitary confinement, for six or seven months. During these months Thupten Tsering was interrogated every three to four days. These interrogations were conducted at night so that other political prisoners would not see him being taken into the interrogation section of the prison.

On 18 January 1989 when his sentence was announced in a public rally, Thupten Tsering was hit hard on his left shoulder with a rifle butt. He says this is a cause of pain to him even today.

After their sentences were announced, both Thupten Tsering and Yulo Dawa Tsering were transferred to Drapchi Prison.

In 1990, the political prisoners at Drapchi Prison were told that they were to receive medical check-ups. Some doctors came and extracted blood from each of the prisoners after which they were advised to drink warm sugared water. The prisoners received no medical reports following their check-up and blood extraction.

Thupten Tsering was released from Drapchi Prison on 15 December 1993.

On 9 or 11 June 1995 Thupten Tsering, along with 30 other Tibetans, was arrested by Nepalese police while trying to escape to India. Among the group were two other former political prisoners; 64 year-old Tsewang Palden who was on conditional release after having served three years of a five year sentence and 29 year-old Ratoe Dawa, a monk of Ratoe Monastery (50 km south of Lhasa) who had completed a four year sentence for his involvement in an April 1993 demonstration. UNHCR representatives were refused access to the refugees who were later deported from Nepal back to Tibet.

Thupten Tsering reported that he was detained for three days at Dram, a Tibetan border town; then another three days in Nyalam, 444 km from Shigatse; then finally moved to Shigatse where he was detained a further three days. When he reached Shigatse Thupten Tsering was released with the children in the group in consideration of his age.

Thupten Tsering left Tibet for India in November 1996.

Inmate paralysed from torture

Lhundup Ganden (lay name - Tashi or Tashi Gyatso, also known as Ganden Tashi), born 1968, is a 28 year old former Ganden monk. He arrived in Dharamsala, India, on December 18 1996 and spoke with TCHRD the following day.

On 5 March 1988, Lhundup Ganden and other Ganden monks were arrested for demonstrating and demanding the release of Yulo Dawa Tsering. Lhundup Ganden was sentenced on 18 January 1989 to three years detention plus deprivation of political rights for one year. The official charge was "instigating counter-revolutionary propaganda". Lhundup Ganden was detained first at Gutsa Detention Centre for two months and then in Sangyip until 8 March 1989 when he was moved to Drapchi Prison.

While in Gutsa Detention Centre, Lhundup Ganden, two Tibetan youths and a Tibetan woman were all stripped naked while police officials surrounded them in the interrogation room. The four were beaten with electric batons and Lhundup was hit on his head with a rifle butt. When Lhundup Ganden was later called again to be interrogated, he was unable to walk and had to be carried by other prison mates.

As a result of torture delivered during interrogation, Lhundup Ganden sustained serious head injuries precipitating migraine headaches which he continues to suffer today.

On 3 August 1989, Lhundup Ganden was transferred to Outridu Detention Centre and detained there until 17 May 1990. For the first 34 days he was kept in solitary confinement and was chained all the time. Despite having his hands chained, Lhundup Ganden was put to hard labour during this period - construction work and the removal of human faeces from the urinals, taken to the vegetable gardens to be used as fertilizers.

There were only three cells in Outridu and these rooms were used to confine prisoners in isolation. Lhundup Ganden describes his cell in Outridu as so small that there was hardly any space to move his legs. There was no lavatory in the cell and so the prisoners were forced to relieve themselves in the same space where they slept.

The cells were dark and the prisoners had to sleep on a metal floor without any bed-covers. The cells were designed so as to make them extremely cold as a means of torturing the prisoners.

Lhundup heard of three suicides while he was in Outridu.

On 18 May 1990 Lhundup Ganden's sentence was increased to nine and a half years and three years deprivation of political rights. He and three others - Migmar Tashi, Dawa and Dawa Tsering - were accused of "organising a jailbreak" and forming an independence group called "Snowland For Youths Freedom Organisation" (Tibetan: "Gangchen Shonue Shibo Rangzen Tsogpa") within Drapchi Prison.

Migmar Tashi and Dawa had originally been arrested for petty crimes. However, as a result of their political activities while in Drapchi Prison, on 18 May 1990 they were sentenced and executed.

Throughout 1990 to 1993 Lhundup Ganden had to be medically treated. He had become paralysed from his waist downwards while in Outridu and suffered severe headaches. In 1993 when he still showed no signs of improving and his medical bills were piling up, he was finally released on medical parole.

After his release he had to pay for all of his hospital expenses which proved extremely costly. However slowly his legs became normal again.

Despite his better health, Lhundup Ganden says of this time, "when a political prisoner is released he or she is expelled from ones monastery, school or job. The person is not allowed to be a part of the society again. This is the most difficult part of our lives. We are not afraid of going to prison but the life after release is unbearable".

PROFILE

Nun, recipient of human rights award, serving 17 year sentence

Phuntsog Nyidron is a 28 year-old nun from Michungri Nunnery. She was sentenced to nine years and later eight years imprisonment, first for a peaceful demonstration and then for singing independence songs. Her dedication to the cause of human rights in Tibet earned her the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1995.

Phuntsog Nyidron (father: Tashi Wangpo, mother: Palkyi) was born in 1968 in Phenpo Lhundrup District, 135 km. from Lhasa. She attended a village school but was unable to continue her studies due to inadequate education facilities in her village. Consequently she left school and in 1986 joined Michungri Nunnery in Toelung Dechen district.

In the nunnery, in addition to learning Buddhist philosophy, Phuntsog began to speak out for the Tibetan people. She advocated freedom of speech, greater freedom of movement and an end to Chinese rule.

On 14 October 1989, Phuntsog led a demonstration in the Barkhor area in the old town of Lhasa. The demonstration took place three days after Tibetans inside Tibet heard word that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and was both a celebration of this news and a call for an end to Chinese occupation in Tibet. The peaceful demonstration by a small group of nuns lasted just a few minutes.

Phuntsog was described in the official newspaper Tibet Daily (Chinese:Xizang Ribao) on 18 October 1989 as "the ringleader" of "counter-revolutionary propaganda" aimed at "splitting the great motherland".

Other nuns involved in the demonstration were sentenced to three years administrative detention while Phuntsog was sent for a court trial and sentenced to nine years imprisonment.

There were several reasons suggested to explain why she was given the longest sentence. Firstly, she was one of the first nuns to join the Michungri nunnery when it was under renovation and started to function after restorations were complete and therefore she automatically became the senior nun despite her young age. Secondly, the Work Unit Team visited Michungri on several occasons to give the nuns political education, but Phuntsog was the first to confront the Work Unit Team for interfering in their religious activities. Thirdly, Phuntsog was the store-keeper in the Michungri nunnery and was given more responsibilty over the administration of the nunnery.

According to testimony received in January 1994 by Tenzin Choekyi, one of the nuns who escaped to India after release, Phuntsog and the other women were kicked and beaten during the arrest and later given electric shocks on the hands, shoulders, breasts, tongue and face. During interrogation each nun was suspended for at least 15 minutes from the ceiling by her hands which were handcuffed behind her, her feet above the ground, and was then beaten with an iron rod whilst in this position.

Yet despite the attempts of the Chinese authorities to force Phuntsog into a confession, she refused.

While in Drapchi Prison Phuntsog Nyidron and 13 other nuns made a recording on a tape-recorder smuggled into the prison which was later secretly circulated in Tibet. Each nun gave her name and deicated a song or poem to friends or supporters. The women'words told of their gratitude to those who had not forgotten them in prison, of the brutal treatment suffered and of their dedication to Tibetan independence and to the Dalai Lama.

The Chinese authorities deemed the public distribution of these songs amounted to "spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda" and the 14 nuns were tried on 8 Oct. '93.

Authorities confirmed that Phuntsog Nyidron was sentenced to an additional eight years, bringing her sentence to a total of 17 years and making her, at the time, the longest serving female political prisoner in Tibet. According to former colleagues, the sentence reflected her social status rather than her offence.

Another of the nuns involved was Ngawang Sangdrol who had her sentence extended by six years. Ngawang Sangdrol (profiled in the Human Rights Update, 30 Nov. '96) is currently serving an 18 year sentence after her sentence was extended by nine years in July 1996.

In 1995 Phuntsok Nyidron was named a recipient of the Reebok Human Rights Award. This award honours people from around the world who have made a significant contribution to the cause of human rights, often against great odds.

Sadly, Phuntsog Nyidron was unable to receive this prestigious award in person. She is still serving her sentence in Drapchi Prison and is not due to be released until 2006 when she will be 38 years old.

Birth Control Policy in Tibet

Lhundup Ganden, a Sera monk who recently escaped to India, visited the township of Nyagra under Lhasa City Municipal Bureau in June 1996. Except for one semi-nomadic unit, the rest of the units are inhabited by peasants. The following is a report of the sterilisation policy he witnessed there.

Lhundup explained that birth control policy is carried out in the whole of Tibet through propaganda, coercion and strict regulatory measures. It is being officially enforced with the main objective of eradicating the very identity of the Tibetans. Population transfer is also being carried out on a massive scale.

Lhundup reports that the birth control policy is carried out in a very systematic and organised manner.

The 2nd unit of Nyagra township is comprised of 60 families (totalling about 600 people). This unit was informed in advance about the birth control policy and the actual programme began in 1994.

Of the total population of the 2nd unit, the percentage of child birth allowed by the authorities in one year was fixed at 4.5%. It was mandatory for couples who wished to have a child to test their luck in a lottery system. If the couple is unlucky and their names are not drawn, then the mother, even if she is five or six months pregnant, must undergo an abortion.

If a couple produces a child without undergoing the lottery system, they are fined up to 500 yuan and the baby will be deprived of a registration card and other welfare facilities. When this "unofficial" child grows up, he or she is denied any educational opportunities.

Nyagra'3rd unit has 400 people and the child birth percentage was fixed at 3.5%. The same system of lotteries and forced abortions is followed here.

In 1995, of the 4.5% child birth allowed in the 2nd unit, the .5% was "loaned" to the 3rd unit which was therefore allowed 4% child birth in that year.

In 1996, only 3% chld birth was allowed in the 3rd unit and the remaining .5% was added to the 2nd unit'4.5% raising it ito 5%. However, as the 2nd unit in fact recorded a 9% birth rate in 1996, that 4% over the official endorsement was fined.

If a couple is successful in one lottery, they are barred from the lot system for the three subsequent years. If a couple is successful in two lottery draws, they are forbidden from participating in the lottery for the rest of their lives.

On the other side, if a couple does not produce a child for a long period of time, then that couple is highly commended by the Chinese authorities and even awarded prizes.

Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy
Narthang Building
Gangchen Kyishong
Dharamsala H.P., India
Ph: +91 1892 22457/22510
Fax: +91 1892 24957
E-mail: diir@dsala.tibet.net

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Last updated: 12-Aug-97