Caselist - PEN International

40Kunchok Tsephel GOPEY TSANGD.o.b.: 1970 Profession: Internet writer and editor of the Tibetanlanguage website Chomei http://www.tibetcm.com Date of arrest: 26February 2009 Sentence: Fifteen years in prison Expires: 25 February2024 Details of arrest: Arrested by Chinese security officials at his homein the town of Nyul-ra, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, GansuProvince. At the time of his arrest, Gopey Tsang’s house was searchedand his computer confiscated. Details of trial: On 12 November 2009 hewas sentenced for ‘disclosing state secrets’. His family was not told ofhis whereabouts until he was summoned to court to hear the verdict. Thetrial was held at the Intermediate People’s Court of Kanlho, in a closedhearing. Professional details: Chomei website, which promotes Tibetanculture and literature, was created by Gopey Tsang and Tibetan poetKyab-chen De-drol in 2005 and since then has been closely monitored bythe authorities. It is said that the site was shut down several times during2007 and 2008. Gopey Tsang also worked as an environmental officer forthe Chinese government. Health concerns: There are fears for his health.Previous political imprisonment/problems: In 1995 Kunchok TsephelGopey Tsang was held for two months by Public Security Bureau officialson unknown charges, and was reportedly ill-treated in detention. (RAN16/09 – 17 March 2009; Update #1 – 23 November 2009).Dawa GYALTSEND.o.b.: 1969. Profession: Studied banking and accountancy, andworked for a bank. Date of arrest: November 1995 Sentence: 18 yearsimprisonment. Expires: November 2013 Details of arrest: Arrestedfor writing pro-independence pamphlets which were posted in April1995 as part of a widespread protest against the Chinese authorities. Thepamphlets reportedly contained a brief history of Tibet as an independentnation and pro-independence slogans. Details of trial: In May 1996,Nagchu Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Gyalstento eighteen years’ imprisonment on charges of carrying out “counterrevolutionarypropaganda”. His brother Nyima Gyaltsen was sentencedto thirteen years’ imprisonment for leading the protest. Three other monksco-accused with the Gyaltsen brothers were sentenced to lesser termsranging from two-six years for their participation in the protest, and havenow been freed on expiry of their sentences. Place of detention: TibetAutonomous Region Prison (formerly Drapchi Prison), Lhasa. Treatmentin prison: Said to have been severely tortured whilst under interrogation.Honorary member: PEN America.JANGTSE DhonkhoD.o.b.: 1978. Profession: Poet, member of the Sichuan Province WritersAssociation. Date of arrest: 21 June 2010. Sentence: 4 years in prison.Expires: 21 June 2014. Reportedly arrested at his home on 21 June 2010.Details of trial: Tried by the Ngaba Intermediate People’s Court on 3October 2010, for “inciting activities to split the nation”. Sentenced on30 December 2010 to four years in prison. Lawyers and family memberswere reportedly not permitted to speak in court. It is thought that JangtseDhonkho may be convicted for his articles on the 2008 Tibetan unrest inthe literary magazine Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain), which isnow banned in Tibet (see DHONKHO, BHUDHA and KHELSANGJinpa in ‘main cases’ above). Professional details: Has reportedlypublished a collection of poetry and is the recipient of several Tibetanliterary awards. Honorary member of: Independent Chinese PENCentre (ICPC).Dolma KYABProfession: Writer and teacher. Date of arrest: 9 March 2005. Sentence:Ten and a half years in prison. Expires: 8 October 2015. Detailsof arrest: Dolma Kyab was reportedly arrested in the city of Lhasa for allegedlyendangering state security in his book. The charges against DolmaKyab appear to be based on his unpublished book Sao dong de Ximalayasha(The Restless Himalayas). In another book, Dolma Kyab reportedlygives sensitive information on issues such as the location and number ofChinese military camps in Tibet. Following his pre-trial detention at theTibetan Autonomous Region Public Security Bureau Detention Centre, alsoknown as the ‘Seitru’, Dolma Kyab reportedly contracted tuberculosis andwas transferred to Chushul Prison in March 2006 after receiving medicaltreatment for his condition. Details of trial: Dolma Kyab was chargedwith ‘espionage’ and ‘illegal border crossing’. His trial was conducted insecrecy. Place of Detention: Reportedly transferred to Xi’ning Prison,Qinghai Province, north-western China on 19 July 2007. Health concerns:Said to be in very poor health and has to do hard labour. Honorarymember of: English, American and German PEN.Paljor NORBU (aka Panjue Ruobu)D.o.b.: 1927 Profession: Printer. Date of arrest: 31 October 2008 Sentence:7 years in prison Expires: 30 October 2015 Details of arrest:Reportedly arrested from his home in Lhasa for allegedly printing ‘prohibitedmaterial’, including the banned Tibetan flag. His family were notinformed of his arrest. Details of trial: Reportedly tried in secret in November2008, possibly on charges of ‘inciting separatism’, and sentencedto seven years in prison. His family were informed of the sentence inwriting but have not been allowed to visit him. His whereabouts are unknown.Other information: According to Human Rights Watch, Norbucomes from a family with a long history of printing and publishing Buddhisttexts for monasteries. He is said to be an internationally renownedmaster printer. He used both modern and traditional woodblock printingtechniques in his workshop, which employed several dozen workers. Inaddition to religious texts, the shop also printed prayer flags, folk reproductions,books, leaflets and traditional literature. After his arrest theshop was closed down and books and woodblocks confiscated.Tashi RABTEN (pen-name Te’u rang)Profession: Writer and university student. Co-editor of the banned literarymagazine Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain). Date of arrest: 6 April2010 Sentence: Four years in prison Expires: 5 April 2014 Details ofarrest: Reportedly arrested with fellow student editor DRUKLO (pennameShokjang) because of their critical writings and activism. Reportssay that about sixteen policemen approached the students’ residence at theNorthwest National Minorities University, where they seized Rabten andDruklo’s books, mobile phones, laptops and course material. Druklo wasreportedly released on 8 May 2010. Details of trial: Tried behind closeddoors at a court in Aba prefecture on 2 June 2011. Details of the chargesagainst him have not been officially confirmed, although he is thought tobe convicted of inciting separatism for a collection of political articlesentitled Written in Blood on the suppression of the March 2008 protestsin Lhasa and surrounding regions. Treatment in prison: Said to be heldwithout access to his family since his arrest, although a delivery of foodand clothes were allowed in autumn 2010. Feared to be at risk of torture indetention. Professional details: Tashi Rabten edited the banned literarymagazine Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain) on the 2008 protests inTibet, and co-authored a collection of writings on democracy, freedomand equality called Written in Blood. Prior to his arrest Tashi Rabten,aged twenty-five, was a student at the Northwest Minorities University inLanzhou, and had reportedly been under surveillance for some time.Kunga TSEYANG (aka Gangnyi ‘Snow Sun’)D.o.b.: c.1989 Profession: Tibetan writer and environmentalist. Date ofarrest: 17 March 2009 Sentence: Five years in prison Expires: 16 March2014 Details of the trial: On 17 November 2009 a court in the Prefecture ofGolok, Qinghai Province, sentenced Tseyang on various charges includingposting articles online. Professional details: Tseyang studied at LabdrangTashi Kyil monastery and the Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. He haswritten many articles about Buddhism and Tibetan art and culture, includingthe widely-read, “China must apologize to His Holiness the Dalai Lama”Tseyang is also an environmental activist and a regular contributor to theYutse Environment Department as a photographer. Tseyang lives in theLungkar monastery in Golok county (eastern Tibet).Imprisoned: investigationDROKRU Tsultrim: Tibetan writer from Ngaba county, was reportedlyarrested on 24 May 2010 after police searched his room at the GomangMonastery, eastern Tibet, took documents and his laptop. There wasallegedly no warrant for the raid or Tsultrim’s arrest. It is said that heis being held at the detention centre in Barkham, in Ngaba, and that hisfamily has not been allowed to visit him. A relative in exile reported thatTsultrim was planning to publish a compilation of writings by youngTibetan writers prior to his arrest. There are no details of any chargeshe may be facing. Thought to remain detained at an unknown locationwithout access to family visits as of 31 December 2011. Previousdetention: Previously detained in early April 2009 while working as themagazine editor of Khawai Tsesok (Soul of the Snow). Held for a monthfor his alleged anti-government articles in support of ‘separatist forces’of the Dalai Lama before being released. The authorities have suspendedthe publication of the magazine. Honorary member of: IndependentChinese PEN Centre (ICPC).*Pema RICHEN: 25-year-old Tibetan writer from Drango County,Kardze TAP, Sichuan Province. Reportedly arrested and severely beatenon 5 July 2011. The following day his family were handed a notice of hisdetention for ‘inciting ethnic enmity’. Said to be held at Drango CountyDetention Centre. Known for his self-published book Look which is saidto be a critique of Chinese government policies and practices in Tibetanregions. Prior to his detention he had travelled around Tibet distributingcopies of the book. WiPC seeking further information about his currentstatus and any charges against him.SHERAB Gyatso: Monk and writer. Reportedly arrested on 16 March2011 whilst en route to the region of Tsongon, Qinghai province, topublish his second book. His whereabouts remained unknown until May2011, when he was reported to be detained in Chengdu, the capital ofSichuan province. Said to be a skilful writer and debater, whose first bookTime to Wake Up was published in 2009 and was very popular. Knownfor his writing on the issues of Tibetan culture and education. Previouslydetained in 1998 and held for 4 years for putting up posters protestingChinese authorities’ ‘re-education’ programmes in many monasteries inTibetan regions. WiPC seeking further details of his current detention.SONAM Rinchen, SONAM Dhondup, YARGAY and DAKDEN:Students and editors of the Tibetan student magazine Namchak.Reportedly arrested on 17 March 2010 and charged with separatism andinciting separatism in their writing. All four were registered as studentsat the University of Barkham (Sichuan province). According to an exiledTibetan monk, they had published comments about China’s policiestowards minorities, including Tibetans. Sonam Richen and SonamDhondup were reportedly sentenced to two years in jail on 30 August2010. Yargay and Dakden are thought to also have been sentenced to twoyears, WiPC seeking confirmation and date of sentence.Case closedJoleb DAWA: Teacher and founder and editor of the Tibetan-languagejournal Dhusrab kyi Nga (Century’s Self). Reportedly arrested on 1October 2010, in Ngaba county, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Sichuan Province. The exact charges against him are unknown, but it isbelieved that his arrest is linked to his work on the journal. Case closedfor lack of further information.KALSANG Tsultrim (aka Gyitsang Takmig): Outspoken Tibetanauthor and activist. Reportedly arrested on 16 December 2010, afterthe Public Security Bureau of Tsoe City called him in for questioning.Kalsang Tsultrim is the author of Miyul La Phul Ve Sempa (Sharing theInner Thoughts in My Heart), a book illustrating the concerns of theTibetan people. Case closed for lack of further information.Namsay: Editor and employee at the Pandita Print Press (PPP) inChengdu township, Ngaba County, Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Sichuan Province. Reportedly arrested some time in 2010 for allegedanti-government postings on his blog and for his work as assistanteditor for the Tibetan magazine Sonming. Case closed for lack of furtherinformation.TAGYAL (pen-name Shogdung): Writer and staff member at theQinghai Nationalities Publishing House. Arrested on 23 April 2010following the publication of an open letter, signed by Tagyal and sevenother intellectuals, criticizing the government’s response to the 14 April2010 earthquake in the western province of Qinghai. Charged with‘instigating to split the motherland’ and held until he was released on bailon 14 October 2010. Case closed for lack of further information.TSERING Dhondup: Monk at Rongtha Monastery, Khyungchu County.Reportedly arrested on 26 February 2010 for assisting writer GendunTsering in publishing two books: Migchu (Tears), written by Gendun;and Sonming (Alive Eye), a collection of articles on the situation insideTibet edited by Gendun. Reportedly Tsering Dhondup is currently beingheld at the Barkham County Detention Centre. Case closed for lack offurther information.Norzin WANGMO (f): Writer. Reportedly arrested in April 2008 forsending online and telephone news reports about the situation in Tibetduring the March 2008 uprisings. The exact charges against her areunknown but she is believed to have been sentenced to five years in prisonon 3 November 2008. One of her articles is said to be entitled ‘Games ofPolitics’ and was published in the magazine Popular Arts. Case closed forlack of further information.INDIAKilling*Shehla MASOOD: Blogger and activist, aged 39. Reportedly shotdead in a targeted attack on 16 August 2011 as she was getting into acar in front of her home in the city of Bhopal. She was known for hercampaigning for the enforcement of the Right to Information (RTI) Actand had been on her way to a demonstration when she was killed. Shehad complained of death threats since January 2010.41