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Urgent Action: Runggye Adak Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison
Runggye Adak, a Tibetan nomad from Lithang in Eastern Tibet, has been unjustly sentenced to eight years in prison by the Kardze Intermediate People's Court for publicly calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Three other Tibetans have also been sentenced, including Adak's newphew Adak Lupoe, who received a ten-year sentence on "collusion" charges. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
Speak out against the Chinese Government's blatant violation of Runggye Adak's basic right to free speech by sending the letter below.
Please take further action by calling China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and speaking out for Runggye Adak's release: +8610-65963100. Tell the Chinese government that the international community is scrutinizing this case closely in the lead up the Beijing Olympics.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Shame on China; Release Runggye Adak Now.
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am outraged to learn that Runggye Adak, a 52-year old Tibetan nomad and father of 11, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for doing nothing more than exercising his basic right to free speech. Adak was unjustly convicted of "provocation to subvert state power" by the People's Court in Dartsedo in Eastern Tibet [Chinese: Kangding, Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province]. Runggye Adak is an innocent man and must be immediately released.
I am also deeply concerned about Adak's nephew, Lupoe, along with Kunkhen and Lothok who have also been given sentences ranging from 3 to 10 years in prison.
By persecuting Runggye Adak for his peaceful act, you are violating his fundamental right to freely express his views without fear of punishment. According to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
With the Beijing Olympics less than a year away, your government is trying to promote the illusion that Tibetans are happy and prosperous under Chinese rule. Your handling of this incident and blatant violation of Runggye Adak's fundamental human rights reveals the reality of your brutal occupation of Tibet.
The world is scrutinizing your government's handling of Runggye Adak's case very closely. If the charges against him are not overturned, this incident will serve to further diminish China's international standing in the lead up to the Olympic Games. As long as Tibetans continue to be denied their basic human rights, China will never be truly accepted as a leader on the world stage.
I will continue to monitor Runggye Adak's case and will be updating my government about this travesty of justice. I urge you to release Runggye Adak, Lupoe, Kunkhen and Lothok now.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
November 19, 2007
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Runggye Adak, a 52 year-old Tibetan nomad and father of eleven, from Lithang in Eastern Tibet has been sentenced to 8 years in prison publicly appealing for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. This harsh sentence follows his conviction on October 29th, of "subversion and inciting separatism" by the People's Court in Dartsedo, in Eastern Tibet [Chinese: Kangding, Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province].
Click here to read the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy's press release condemning Adak's sentence:
Click here for more information about Runggye Adak's conviction.
Read Human Rights Watch's report calling for Runggye Adak's immediate release.
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BACKGROUND:
On August 1st, a week before the one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympics, Runggye Adak, a 52 year-old Tibetan nomad from Lithang in Eastern Tibet was detained for publicly calling for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He stood up on stage at a Chinese government function commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army and spoke to the crowd of several thousand Tibetans who had gathered for the annual Lithang horse-racing festival. Before he was arrested, he also called for the release of the Panchen Lama and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche as the crowd below cheered in response. Tenzin Delek, a revered Buddhist teacher and community leader also from Lithang, is currently serving a life-sentence for bombing charges fabricated by the Chinese authorities.
In response to Adak's arrest, over two hundred Tibetans congregated outside the Lithang police station to appeal for his release; some managed to get inside and demand to speak to local officials. Eye-witness reports describe how police and soldiers violently dispersed local gatherings in Lithang by using tear gas, stun grenades and metal batons. Hundreds of local government officials have been ordered to attend meetings to condemn Adak's actions. According to the Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Hong Kong, Adak was charged with "provocation to subvert state power" and the Chinese government has labeled his actions a "major political incident."
On August 21st, Chinese authorities also detained three of Adak's nephews, Adak Gyaltso, Adak Nyima and Adak Lupoe from the village of Yonru Kharshul in Lithang. Adak Nyima and Adak Gyaltso were later released, but Adak Lupoe, a monk at the Lithang monastery, remains in custody and his whereabouts are unknown.
In a heartfelt appeal letter issued by Adak's son and nephew who live in exile in India describe Adak as a soft-spoken man and father of 11 who "broke the silence by speaking the truth, the truth that remains suppressed in the hearts of his fellow countrymen." Adak's actions are a testament to the courage of Tibetans inside Tibet, who after 50 years of occupation continue to defy Chinese rule and speak out for Tibetans' fundamental human rights. Reports of torture against Tibetans who show allegiance to His Holiness the Dalai Lama are widespread in Tibet.
Please take action now and join the international effort to secure the release of Runggye Adak and Adak Lupoe.
Click here to read the Associated Press article for more details about Runggye Adak's charges.
Click here to see photos and read a report on the police crackdown in Lithang following Adak's arrest.
Click here for the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy's (TCHRD) report on Runggye Adak's arrest.
Click here for TCHRD's report on the detention of Adak Lupoe.
Click here to read the appeal letter written by Adak's son and nephew in exile.
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