Ngawang Choephel, the Tibetan Fulbright scholar recently released from a Chinese prison, and Bhuchung Tsering, director of the International Campaign for Tibet, will speak 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6 at Room 46 of McCosh Hall on the Princeton University campus.
The event is co-sponsored by Amnesty International of Mercer County and Princeton University’s Amnesty International Chapter, and Shop the World at the Salty Dog in Princeton. Admission is free.
Paul McCartney, U2 and Sting were among the celebrities who, along with chapters of Amnesty International worldwide, petitioned for Mr. Choephel’s release from prison. Mr. Choephel is a Tibetan music teacher and collector of folk music.
Born in Tibet in 1966, Mr. Choephel grew up in exile in India and in 1992 received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Middlebury College in Vermont. In 1995, while on his first visit to Tibet to film a documentary about traditional music and dance, he was arrested by Chinese authorities. Charged with spying and engaging in illegal separatist activities, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison — one of the longest sentences imposed for an offense other than murder since the end of the Mao period more than 20 years ago.
According to the International Campaign for Tibet, the Chinese government has not cited evidence of political involvement or any other illegal activity by Mr. Choephel.
News about Ngawang Choephel’s location and state of health reached the outside world sporadically over the next few years. Poor prison conditions and lack of medical attention were said to have caused him to suffer serious health problems, including hepatitis and chronic bronchitis. In January 2002, he was granted early release from prison on medical grounds.
Appearing with him will be Bhuchung K. Tsering, director of the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington. Mr. Tsering was born in Tibet but has lived in India since the Chinese takeover of his homeland in 1950. He has a degree in English literature from the University of Delhi and has worked as a reporter for the Indian Express, a daily newspaper published in New Delhi, and as a columnist for the Tibetan Review. In 1984, he joined the Tibetan government-in-exile.
