CALGARY, Canada, December 2, 2004 – Calgary’s Tibetan Community and Tibet supporters held a candle light vigil outside the Consulate of the People’s Republic of China in Calgary. The event, organized by Canada Tibet Committee, was in solidarity with the International campaign to exert pressure on the Chinese government to save Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s life and seek his release.
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was falsely accused by the Chinese government of involvement in a series of explosions in Chengdu, China. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and his student, Lobsang Dhondup, were sentenced to death on December 2, 2002. 28 year old Lobsang Dhondup’s death sentence was carried out on January 26th. Two-year suspension on the execution of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is believed to have expired on December 2nd 2004. China could then decide to execute Tenzin Delek.
Calgary west MP Rob Anders, in a statement in the Canadian House of Commons, called upon the Canadian government to “take a leading role and to use its position in world affairs to help stop the execution of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.”
“The case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is simply a symptom of China’s occupation of Tibet.” Nima Dorjee of Canada Tibet Committee said of the action.
“The Tibet movement will not rest until China leaves Tibet. China must seek the opportunity to resolve the issue of Tibet. ” Dorjee added.
Canada Tibet Committee has launched an urgent action campaign urging Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew to intervene to save Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s life.
Canadian officials have raised Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s case both in Beijing and Ottawa, Mr Pettigrew said. “We have asked them to stop this execution,” he added saying that Canada had been joined by “other foreign governments” in exerting pressure on Beijing.
The Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) is an independent non-governmental organisation of Tibetans and non-Tibetans living in Canada, who are concerned about the continuing human rights violations and lack of democratic freedom in Tibet. It seeks to stop the ongoing destruction of the Tibetan culture, to alleviate the suffering of the Tibetan people and to restore Tibet to its status as an independent state within the family of nations. The Canada Tibet Committee is committed to the principle of non-violence and opposes the use of violence as a means of resolving conflict. The Canada Tibet Committee recognizes the Tibetan Government-in-exile as the legitimate representative of the Tibetan people.
