Dharamsala, October 12 – A group of German parliamentarians have called for the release of a jailed Tibetan filmmaker who is currently serving a six-year prison sentence for making “Leaving Fear Behind”, a documentary film that exposed China’s ‘wronged policies’ and depicted Tibetan people’s loyalty to the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The German lawmakers made the appeal in Berlin where the wife of the imprisoned filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen is on a visit as part of her Europe tour to garner support for her husband’s release.
Dhondup’s wife Lhamo Tso gave a vivid account of Dhondup Wangchen’s situation in jail and urged people to extend their support to her in seeking her husband’s release. Lhamo expressed her grave concern about the heath of her husband who she said is suffering from hepatitis.
In a statement issued by the Interparty Group on Tibet in the German parliament, Liberal MP Harald Leibrecht said, “Dhondup Wangchen must be released. He is in prison, simply because he peacefully expressed his opinion. Freedom of speech and openness are crucial for a democratic development in China, as for a peaceful solution to the issue of Tibet.”
Green Party MP Manuel Sarrazin added, “Dhondup Wangchen’s case is symbolic for the repression that the Tibetan civil society is facing. The international community must not watch in silence, but have clear words about this.”
Lhamo also met with Markus Löning, German Federal Human Rights Commissioner, who leads the German human rights dialogue with China, and briefed him on her husband’s situation. She also met with the members of the German parliament’s Human Rights Committee.
Lhamo’s trip to Europe was organised by the Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) and the International Campaign for Tibet Germany (ICT). TID also organised a public screening of “Leaving Fear Behind” in downtown Berlin which was attended by Lhamo. Lhamo also attended a vigil organised by ICT in front of the Chinese embassy in Berlin to highlight the situation of political prisoners in Tibet.
