Petition signed with fingerprints and names

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) learnt from various sources that the situation in Nyagchuka County, Kardze “TAP”, Sichuan Province has been extremely tense and volatile. Large convoys of armed forces and riot police in full combat gears are at the area to contain the ever-increasing volatile situation on the ground.

The TCHRD learnt from sources that over 100 Tibetans from Nyachuka had gathered at Nyachuka County government headquarter to press on about the immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to the Nyachuka County government headquarter since 5 December. The gathered Tibetans were refusing to leave the County government headquarters unless Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is released from the prison. According the latest information, the Tibetans are still pressing the County government officials, although the deadline for petitioners and protesters to retreat to their respective villages was expired on (3:00 PM, yesterday, 10 December 2009), the sources informed TCHRD that local authorities had again advised people to retreat and agreed to look into the matter. However, TCHRD has not received any further information on the latest development on the ground.

Meanwhile, at another place called Thang Karma, around 300 local Tibetans petitioners and protesters thronged the local government office to demand the immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek. During the petitioning, seven women collapsed and became unconscious (time and date unknown). They are still known to be unwell.

On the other hand, those of 60 Tibetans previously rounded and detained by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) on the night of 5 December 2009 at the Nyagchuka County military garrison compound were fasting and refusing to eat any food served to them unless and until Tulku is released from the prison.

A few miles from Nyachuka County government headquarter base, at a place called Na-rong, where over 1000 Tibetans were said to be blocked by Chinese security forces from breaking up and staging a protest march towards the main Nyachuka County government headquarter to submit their petition to effect the immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.

Latest information emanating from Na-rong, Thang Karma, Nyachuka suggest that the protesting Tibetans are running out of food and warm clothes and blankets to brace the chilly winter nights and relatives and supporters were denied access to the protesters and petitioners for delivering food and clothes.

Also according to sources, a group of seven Tibetans proceeded to Chengdu, the provincial capital city of Sichuan Province to submit a petition to the provincial government officials to demand the immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche stating that he was “falsely framed and sentenced by the Sichuan Higher People’s Court in 2002”. However, on the way the seven Tibetans were arrested and detained at a place called Thu-cheng (place near Chengdu city) where there is a large prison where many political prisoners are currently imprisoned.

Background:

On 2 December 2002, the Kardze Intermediate People's Court in the Kardze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,”(‘TAP’), Sichuan Province, had sentenced Lobsang Dhondup, a relative of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, to death for "inciting separatism", "causing explosions" and "illegal possession of guns and ammunition". He was executed on January 26, 2003, despite huge international outcry.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve for "causing explosions" and "inciting separatism". Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, based at a monastery in nomad-dominated Othok, was granted a two-year reprieve, then had his sentence commuted to life in 2005.

Event:

On 5 December 2009, a group of seven Tibetans which later swelled to around sixty Tibetans, mostly youth from Othok proceeded to Nyachuka County government headquarter to appeal for an immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek, stating that their revered spiritual teacher was wrongly charged and sentenced by the Sichuan Higher People’s Court in 2002.

It was on the night of 5 December 2009, petitioners who gathered at County government headquarters for the entire day were rounded up and taken to an unknown location.

Sources told TCHRD on the morning of 6 December 2009, motorbikes and clothes belonging to petitioners were left unattended with bloodstains. There were also bloodstains on ground as well. The petitioners are largely believed to be detained in a military compound near Nyachuka County.

Thereafter Tibetans from various parts of Nyachuka County have been flocking to Nyachuka County government headquarters to obtain the release of around sixty Tibetan detainees. However Chinese security forces on the way stopped them from reaching the County Headquarter. Meanwhile a fairly large contingent of People’s Armed Police (PAP) has been brought to place called Thang Karma (White Open Field) practicing martial acts and military drills to intimidate the local Tibetans.

Meanwhile, sources say that many elderly Tibetans and children has been going to the Chinese government Township office at Thang Karma (White Open Field) to appeal to the Chinese government to release Tulku Tenzin Delek.

Despite their petitions, Chinese officials have been turning their deaf ears to their sincere and legitimate call. Nonetheless, the local Tibetans are still holding on to their hopes for an immediate release of their revered spiritual figure.

The following is translation of the Tibetan version of petition submitted by Tibetan petitioners on July 15 2009, for the immediate release of Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, with fingerprints finger impression and signatures, published in woeser’s blog, click here a well known Tibetan writer, poet: and translation of the text is at the website High Peaks Pure Earth (http://www.highpeakspureearth.com/2009/12/from-woesers-blog-people-of-yajiang-in.html)

We Do Not Recognise the Verdict Against A’an Zhaxi

We Want to Have a New Hearing with Regards to the Charges in the Explosion Case

A’an Zhaxi (A-ngag Tashi, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche) was born in 1949 in the village of Degu, Lithang County in the Ganzi Prefecture. In 1983 he was identified as the reincarnation of the Yajiang County’s Orthok Monastery’s Lama Adong Phuntsok. Starting in 1987, he constructed Orthok Monastery, Nyagchukha Jamyang Choekhorling, Tsochu Ganden Choeling, Golog Tashikyil, Tsun-gon Dechen Choeling and many more monasteries. A’an Zhaxi always taught people not to kill, not to steal, not to tell lies, not to shoot animals, not to gamble, and he also formulated religious tenets. This embodied a great benefit for the people in the monasteries and in the area. Hence, in comparison to other Lamas, the local people particularly trusted and respected A’an Zhaxi.

On 7 April 2002, A’an Zhaxi was arrested by Ganzi Yajiang County Police accused of being one of the hidden instigators responsible for the explosion on Tianfu Square in Chengdu. On 2 December 2002, Ganzi Prefecture’s Intermediate People's Court sentenced A’an Zhaxi to death with the sentence suspended for two years. Two years later, some said that his sentence had already been changed to life imprisonment and others said that there was no sentence at all, opinions were widely divided. But his family and religious followers had never seen the official court verdict or any notice concerning his case. Hence, there was no way of verifying the details.

The case against Lobsang Dhondup installing the explosives on Tianfu Square and A’an Zhaxi being the wirepuller is a set-up, it is an act of retaliation by the evil officials and lacks any proof or confessions.

1. No proof

Nowhere and at no time have there been any witnesses confirming that A’an Zhaxi actually worked out a plan for Lobsang Dhondup to set off an explosion, and neither has there been any witness who has heard anything about such plans. Moreover, Lobsang Dhondup has never admitted or confessed that A’an Zhaxi worked out a plan for him to set off the explosion. The reason for this is: one of Lobsang Dhondup’s fellow prisoners, who used to share a cell with him, recalls Lobsang Dhondup once saying to him that A’an Zhaxi has never planned anything for him and he has also never officially declared or confessed that A’an Zhaxi had worked out a plan for him. The reason why Yajiang County accused A’an Zhaxi is because they say that he excavated a cave to store the explosives and they also came up with groundless accusations such as that he is not a real monk but they have not provided the people with anything proving his guilt.

2. A’an Zhaxi himself refuses to admit his guilt

Although there have been many false stories claiming that A’an Zhaxi has already candidly confessed everything, it is still rather obvious that he does not at all admit his guilt. On 2 December 2002, when the Ganzi Prefecture’s Intermediate People's Court spoke the verdict, in the presence of all, A’an Zhaxi shouted out “don’t say that I set up explosives, I have never ever thought about this sort of thing”. Afterwards, A’an Zhaxi wrote in a letter to Zirui’s people and his close relatives: “I am not guilty, please appeal for justice for me”. Moreover, at the end of 2008, when A’an Zhaxi’s younger sister Dolkar Lhamo together with Zengtar and Tsering Dekyi went to pay him a visit in prison, they also heard him say: “I absolutely did not work out any plans; I don’t even know of any explosion, it would be very kind if you can appeal for justice.” Especially on 11 July 2009, when Apapumu went to see A’an Zhaxi, he said: “I am not responsible for these explosions or any other illegal actions, they have pinned this on me, I have always taught people that one should not harm any life, not even that of an ant, how could I then possibly be responsible for such an action? If it is possible to appeal, there is hope that I may be cleared of all charges. When you leave please go to Zirui for me, tell my relatives and all people of the six Orthok groups, tell everyone that I hope to be cleared of all charges. So, you are in charge, call all people together and do everything possible to help me overturn the verdict.

3. Officials plotted to frame

Even before the verdict in the case of the explosion, Ganzi Prefecture and Yajiang County had often arrested A’an Zhaxi. For example, from 1998 to 2000, twice in a row A’an Zhaxi had to flee to the remote mountains to take refuge. In the very beginning when he first established Orthok Monastery and Nyagchukha Jamyang Choekhorling, some officials of the Ganzi Prefecture, Yajiang County and Lithang District deliberately made things difficult and obstructed the construction of the monasteries, but because A’an Zhaxi went directly to the great Panchen Lama for help, the prefecture, county and district authorities had to give permission. Also, during the time when A’an Zhaxi fled to the mountains for refuge, thousands of people signed or put their fingerprints on a petition to the authorities to prove his innocence. The appeal went all the way to the county, even to the central government and in the end the authorities’ attempt to arrest him failed. When A’an Zhaxi returned to his home town he was happily welcomed by thousands of people, who could not be pushed off the stage by local authorities. Through this, mutual apprehension sharpened by the day, the local authorities harboured more and more resentment against A’an Zhaxi, he became the thorn in their side waiting for an opportunity to retaliate. One 2 April 2002, they then arrested A’an Zhaxi accusing him of being the mastermind behind the explosions on Tianfu Square in Chengdu, but it is obvious that this is not true.

In conclusion, there does not exist any proof with regards to A’an Zhaxi’s sentence, there exists no confession, it is only an act of retaliation of the local authorities against A’an Zhaxi. It is a set-up, a frame-up and an entirely fabricated case. If you are out to condemn somebody, you can always find a charge. If this case is not solved justly, our Zirui region, A’an Zhaxi’s relatives and all the people who follow him, regardless of whether the poor turn into beggars, whether men or women, they will definitely not stop appealing for justice. Thus, we sincerely hope that the impartial law of the central government will make its way into this place which is shrouded in the dense fog of conspiracy.

15 July 2009

By the people of Yajiang County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province