New York – On the eve of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s first visit to North America, and marking one year since China sentenced prominent Tibetan Buddhist leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to death, Tibetans and Tibet support groups worldwide launched an intensified campaign for his release. On December 2, 2002, the popular Tibetan teacher from eastern Tibet was convicted, along with his distant relative Lobsang Dhondup, for alleged involvement in a series of explosions. Dhondup was executed on January 26 and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche could be executed as early as April 7, 2004.
Tibetans and supporters in the U.S. and Canada will highlight Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s case during a week of protests planned in conjunction with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to North America from December 7-12. Coordinated lobbying efforts on Rinpoche’s behalf are also underway in the U.S. Congress and in parliaments around the world. “Time is running out for Tenzin Delek Rinpoche,” said Sonam Wangdu, Chairman of the U.S. Tibet Committee. “His execution would leave a deep scar on the conscience of humanity, and we will not rest until this innocent man is removed from death row and released from jail.”
The death sentences, handed down during closed trials just one week before the U.S.-China bilateral human rights dialogue and following the reopening of talks between Tibetan and Chinese officials, sparked international condemnation. The United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other governments, as well as international human rights groups, denounced China for violating international standards of due process.
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is revered by Tibetans in eastern Tibet as a proponent of the Dalai Lama’s philosophy of nonviolence. He is well known for his tireless efforts to protect and promote Tibetan religion and culture and has established numerous monasteries, hospitals, schools and orphanages for both Tibetan and Chinese children in his home region of Lithang. Observers believe Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is being targeted by local authorities who view him as a threat to their control in the region.
“Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s case illustrates precisely why China must leave Tibet,” said Lhadon Tethong, Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet. “All his life, he has operated within the limits of so-called Chinese law. He has openly advocated nonviolence and worked for the betterment of his community, yet the Chinese accuse him of being a terrorist. We refuse to accept this judgment and will increase our efforts to ensure that Rinpoche is freed.”
