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[
back ] January 28. 2003 [New York City] -- The U.S. Tibet Committee is outraged at China's execution Sunday of Lobsang Dhondup, immediately following a secret re-trial at the Sichuan Higher People's Court in Karze, Tibet, and only eight months after his initial arrest and incommunicado detention. The court also upheld the death sentence of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche. This is the first known execution of a Tibetan for political activities in upwards of ten years. The U.S. Tibet Committee condemns China's lack of due process and use of torture and violence in contravention of international law in an attempt to control and intimidate the Tibetan people. The two Tibetans were first convicted on December 2, 2002, of "committing crimes of explosions, inciting separatism and illegal possession of guns and ammunition" for alleged involvement in a series of bomb blasts that occurred in and around Chengdu, Sichuan Province. In a trial without due process, Lobsang Dhondup received an immediate death sentence and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, an influential and well-respected Buddhist leader, received death with a suspension of two years. At least ten other Tibetans were also arrested in relation to Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's supposed involvement in the bombings, and up to six remain in detention or are missing. "China's conduct throughout this case, including torture of suspects, arbitrary arrest and detention, lack of transparency and refusal of the right to representation, culminating in Sunday's events, raises serious concerns about due process in China, and specifically for Tibetans and in politically sensitive cases," said Sonam Wangdu, Chairman of the U.S. Tibet Committee. "That China met the international outrage against these cases with a secret re-trial under the guise of 'protecting state secrets' should be a wake-up call to the international community that China has no plans to abide by international norms on human rights." The international outcry from Tibetans, supporters, and high level politicians from a range of governments was overwhelming, yet Chinese leaders refused to heed their calls. Lorne Craner, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor specifically brought the matter to the attention of Chinese leaders in official talks. "The secret trials of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and Lobsang Dhondup, their sentences, and their torture completely discredits China's supposed 'improvement' of human rights," said Sarah Hoffman of the U.S. Tibet Committtee. "Furthermore, the Chinese government, in its claim that the death sentences were applied for 'crimes of terror,' is now using the war on terrorism to justify its arrests and treatment of prisoners in politically sensitive cases. China must be held accountable for its brutality." The U.S. Tibet Committee calls on the international community and governments to demand that China release the names and places of detention for all those held in relation to the bombings; urge their embassies in Beijing to protest Lobsang Dhondup's execution, demand the immediate and unconditional release of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and those remaining in custody associated with him, and demand that future trials of Tibetans be open to outside observers and conducted in strict accordance with international law and fair standards, as well as demand the release of the hundreds of other Tibetan political prisoners still languishing in custody today. ###
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