They arrested the Tibetan Buddhist student and his teacher on charges of crimes against the nation, kept them away from any family contact and legal support; appeals were made again and again by their supporters, but all rejected. Then the student was executed in secret with a single bullet through the back of his head. The teacher was saved to be exterminated on a better occasion.
Some say it was late that night, some say it was early that morning – even without a court appearance – that 24-year old Lobsang Dhondup was executed four years ago on 26 January. On the same day his teacher, Tulku Tenzin Delek, was sentenced to death, but with two years reprieve.
Tulku Tenzin Delek was a social activist and a Buddhist teacher when he was first arrested almost five years ago. As a Buddhist scholar the Tibetan monk then known as A-ngag Tashi – even came to India to study in a Tibetan exile Monastery from 1982 to 87. During that time he received blessings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama who recognized him as a ‘tulku’ (a reincarnated lama).
On his return to eastern Kham, the Lithang-based lama started to care for orphans and educate them. His religious teachings attracted many followers and with the help of his students he started to build schools, orphanages and old people’s homes. He later became so popular among Tibetans and Chinese that Chinese Buddhist Believers would travel to receive his teachings from as far away as Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. For the region’s Tibetans, he was a source of inspiration to treasure and protect their religion and culture. This was exactly the point that alienated the Chinese authorities. So they charged him with engaging in “splittist activities” when they first arrested him on 17 April 2002.
Later, his student, Lobsang Dhondup, was arrested on charges of allegedly causing a series of bomb blasts in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Tulku was implicated in this trumped-up case, accused of being the main perpetrator and mastermind behind Lobsang. With no chance to appeal or have legal representation, they were both sentenced to death. Tulku’s students, relatives and friends were discouraged from supporting him and even threatened with dire consequences if they stood by him. The American-led ‘War Against Terrorism” came in handy for the Chinese colonial neo-colonial power in Tibet – the PRC – which not only imposes a brutal regime across the Plateau, but now tries to legitimize it with an anti-terrorism agenda..
Tenzin Delek was to have been executed on 25 January 2005. But China couldn’t carry it out quietly. Across the entire world Tibetans and Tibet supporters made a hue and cry in support of this unique Buddhist social worker and religious leader. By then he had become internationally known and quickly emerged as a symbolic rallying point for Human Rights and Freedom in Tibet. The European Union, the US Congress and a UN Delegation to China raised their concerns officially and directly with Beijing. And China – in a desperate effort to safe face –finally had to commute the “death sentence” to life imprisonment.
Today, Tulku Tenzin Delek is still serving that life sentence in China. The world has no indication of his whereabouts. His health is of great concern. Even after repeated inquiries made by Human Rights Watch, Tibetans and Tibet supporters, China remains obdurately tight-lipped over all concerns.
We the organizers, our members and the people of Dharamsala, condemn the People’s Republic of China for its countless human rights violations in Tibet – particularly the manufactured case of Tulku Tenzin Delek. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of this courageous lama. We also demand that China release all Tibetan political prisoners, including the 32 escapees captured at gunpoint on the Nangpala Pass on 30 September 2006. Unless that happens we will continue to expose China’s human rights violations and shame them in the international arena. For more details visit: www.savetenzin.org www.tchrd.org www.hrw.org (Human Rights Watch)
Five Tibetan NGOs will organize a public gathering in McLeod Ganj, at the Main Temple from 3pm. There will be talks, music, poetry and signature campaign for public.
For further information please contact: B. Tsering (TWA): 9418335155, Choeying (SFT India): 9816368335, Chimey(NDPT): 9418069179, Tsundue(FOT):09418079832
