Urgent Action: Tibetans Sentenced for "Inciting Self-Immolation"

From: bayareafriendsoftibet [mailto:bayareafriendsoftibet-bounces@tibet.org] On Behalf Of giovanni@friends-of-tibet.org
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 9:09 AM
To: BAFoT
Subject: [BAFoT] [FWD: Urgent: Tibetans Sentenced for "inciting self-immolations"]

Please call/email/write Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and/or John Kerry (http://contact-us.state.gov/app/answers/list) as well as the Chinese Ambassador to the US, Ambassador Zhang Yesui, (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/sgxx/lxwm/) to take the urgent action for Tibet and the Tibetan people mentioned below. Also please make note of the Tibet Network's demands and other suggested actions and let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!
Giovanni Vassallo | President | Bay Area Friends of Tibet
415-264-3264 | giovanni@friends-of-tibet.org | www.friends-of-tibet.org

Bay Area Friends of Tibet is the US West Coast's original Tibet Support Group, founded in 1983 by Tibetans and Friends of Tibet, including Tenzing Sonam, son of Lhamo Tsering, Chief of Operations of the Mustang Tibetan Resistance Force. BAFoT works as a Bridge between Tibetans and non-Tibetans and in cooperation with local, state, national, and international Tibet groups to educate the public about Tibet. BAFoT celebrates Tibetan culture and the struggle for Tibetan National Independence. See www.friends-of-tibet.org for more information about us and our Special Projects.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Urgent: Tibetans Sentenced for "inciting self-immolations"
From: International Tibet Network
Date: Thu, January 31, 2013 7:55 am
To: giovanni@friends-of-tibet.org
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International Tibet Network Members' Message
31 January 2013
Dear Network Members

Urgent Take Action: Two Tibetans issued hefty sentences by a Chinese court having been found guilty of "intentional homicide" linked to the self-immolation protests.
Lobsang Konchok, a 40-year old Tibetan monk, has been issued a suspended death sentence. While this very severe sentence is an outrage, note that a death sentence a two-year reprieve is almost always commuted to life imprisonment or reduced to a fixed-term after the suspended period has been served.
Lobsang Tsering, his 31-year old nephew, has been given a 10 year prison sentence. A large number of other sentences, arrests and arbitrary detentions with reference to inolvement in "inciting self-immolation protets" are also known to have also taken place over the past few months, and we fear these are escalating. A recent report by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy gives information about four monks from Gyalrong Tsodun Monastery who were sentenced terms between 10 years and six months - read the report HERE
Recommended Action:
i) Contact your Foreign Ministries: Explain the situation and that more sentences are expected shortly; a large number of Tibetans have been arrested or detained with similar accusations expressed against them. Express your concern that Tibetans are at risk of torture and your view that China is basing its accusations on the sharing of information about events in Tibet with Tibetan exile Urge Foreign Ministries to do the following two actions:
- Contact Chinese counterparts to express grave concern about
the severity of these sentences and urge China to adhere to internationally agreed legal standards
- Call the Chinese Ambassador in your country to convey their concerns.
ii) Contact your country's Beijing Embassy: Explain the situation and expression of concern as above. Ask them to seek full and detailed information about the sentencing and seek assurances that all Tibetan prisoners have the right to independent legal representation of their choice, and that torture will not be used to extract 'confessions'. Find Beijing Embassies contact details at:
http://www.chinahighlights.com/embassy/embassy-in-china/beijing/ iii) Contact the Chinese Embassy in your country: Convey your own concerns as above and ask supporters to do the same.

Best wishes

Mandie