China: Free Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme!

Chinese authorities detained Tibetan filmmakers Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme (Jigme Gyatso) in March 2008 in Tibet, shortly after they completed the filming of Leaving Fear Behind, a bold new documentary, which depicts the plight of Tibetans under Chinese rule and reveals their true feelings about the Beijing Olympics.

UPDATE: After being severely tortured, Golog Jigme was released back to his monastery in October 2008, but he was rearrested in March 2009 as Chinese authorities escalated their violent crackdown across Tibet in advance of the 50th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan National Uprising. There is no updated information about Dhondup Wangchen.

Please send the letter below to Chinese authorities demanding his release.

To learn how you can promote the film and help profile Tibetan voices from inside Tibet, please visit: www.studentsforafreetibet.org/leavingfearbehind Tell me more

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I am outraged to learn that Jigme Gyatso has been rearrested by Chinese authorities and that Dhondup Wangchen is still being detained. Both men are been unjustly held for simply filming interviews with Tibetans in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Both Dhondup Wangchen and his cameraman Jigme Gyatso were detained in late March in Siling in eastern Tibet (Ch: Xining, Qinghai Province). Dhondup Wangchen is reportedly being held at Ershilipu Detention Center in Xining Kachu town (Ch: Linxia, Gansu Province).

Jigme Gyatso was brutally beaten and tortured by Chinese authorities before being released back to his monastery in eastern Tibet in October 2008. However, he was rearrested on March 10, 2009 and his whereabouts are unknown.

As the ongoing detention of Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso clearly shows, the Chinese government is determined to punish and silence any Tibetan who dares to speak out about the devastating impact of China's policies on the Tibetan people, their culture and the environment.

The current situation inside Tibet is dire as Chinese authorities continue their wholesale assault against the Tibetan people and their culture, detaining anyone suspected of supporting the Dalai Lama, purging monasteries and beating and killing monks and nuns. At the same time, foreign journalists and most tourists continue to be barred from entering Tibetan areas. As long as Tibetans continue to suffer under Chinese rule, Premier Wen's claims of a more open and democratic China will continue to ring hollow.

I call on you to immediately take action to secure the release of Dhondup Wangchen and  Jigme Gyatso and to drop all the charges against them. Furthermore, I call on you to release all those Tibetans detained in China's violent crackdown and to engage in meaningful negotiations with the Tibetan government-in-exile to resolve the Tibet issue once and for all.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

Take Action on this Issue

Send this message to:

Minister of Justice, Wu Aiying
cc: Premier Wen Jiabao

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