The protest will be at 9:00am on Monday 01/26/04 in front of the Visa Section of the Chinese Consulate(1338 W Broadway, Vancouver B.C.) organized by chapters of Students for a Free Tibet at University of Vancouver B.C. & Simon Fraser University. Monday also marks the 1st anniversary of the execution of Lobsang Dhondup by the brutal Communist Chinese regime in Tibet.
In April 2002, the Communist Chinese regime in Tibet arrested Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a highly respected Buddhist leader in Lithang, Eastern Tibet and his relative Lobsang Dhondup, a former monk. Both were FALSELY accused of involvement in in a series of explosions. On December 2nd, 2002, Lobsang Dhondup was sentenced to immediate death, and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was sentenced to death with a suspension of two years. Ten other Tibetans were also either arrested or disappeared in connection to the case; at least six remain imprisoned, detained, or missing. It is believed that all these men are being targeted because of their connection to Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
Rinpoche is very well known for his work to promote and preserve Tibetan culture, religion and identity in Tibet. An open supporter of the Dalai Lama, he advocated non-violence and respect for the environment. The Chinese authorities view him as a threat to their control of the region. The Chinese government did not present credible evidence against Tenzin Delek Rinpoche or any of the Tibetans detained. They were denied access to independent lawyers and did not have a fair trial.
Because of massive international outcry about the case, the Chinese authorities assured international governments that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and Lobsang Dhondup would receive a thorough retrial in China’s Supreme Court. However on January 26, 2003, after a secret retrial in the Provincial Court, Lobsang Dhondup was executed, in the first known execution of a Tibetan for political crimes in 20 years, and Tenzin Delek Rinpoches 2-year suspended death sentence was upheld.
HE DID NOT RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL.
For more information, please visit WWW.SAVETENZIN.ORG or WWW.SAVETIBET.ORG
Contact: Tsewang Rigzin 503-473-3150 or fight4tibet@yahoo.com
