Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief
HRC13th Session (16 February 2010) Symbol No. A/HRC/13/40/Add.1
In their urgent appeal of 20 March 2008, the Special Procedure brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding reports of violence during demonstrations in the Tibet Autonomous Region and surrounding areas in China, killings of an unconfirmed number of people and arrests of hundreds of demonstrators. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding the death of Mr. Phuntsok Rabgay, a 27-year-old monk, in Drango County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding the sentencing of Mr. Palden Gyatso, Mr. Tsultrim, Mr. Sangpo, Mr. Jamyang Khedrub, Mr. Gendun, and Mr. Shrab Sangpo, six monks from Ragya Monastery in Qinghai Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, together with Mr. Hu-lo and Mr. Yang-kyab from Gya-sa village.
HRC 10th Session (16 February 2009) Symbol No. A/HRC/10/8/Add.1
The Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal regarding Kunkhen, an artist, and Mr. Lobsang Phuntsok, a 30 years old monk of the Lithang Monastery. Kunkhen was arrested on 22 August 2007 by Lithang County Public Bureau Security officials for having taken pictures of Mr. Ronggay A’drak [Runggye Adak] on 1 August 2007 when he was addressing a large Tibetan crowd gathered for the annual Lithang horse-race festival. Mr. Lobsang Phuntsok was arrested on 15 September 2007 following a raid carried out at his residence in the monastery by officials from the Lithang County Public Bureau Security. He was arrested on allegations of having established close ties with an artist named Kunkhen. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information they had received regarding reports of violence during demonstrations in the Tibet Autonomous Region and surrounding areas in China, killings of an unconfirmed number of people and arrests of hundreds of demonstrators.
The Special Procedure brought to the attention of the Government information they had received in relation to reports of killings, injuries and arrests of protestors in Gan Zi Xian, Sichuan Province, and the arrests of over 570 Tibetan monks, including children, in Aba Xian and in Ruanggui/Zoige Xian in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
HRC 7th Session (28 February 2008) Symbol No. A/HRC/7/10/Add.1
The Special Procedure brought to the attention of the Government information they had received concerning Mr. Jamyang Gyatso, a monk at Bora Monastery in Xiahe, Northwest Gansu. According to the information received, he was arrested on 8 January 2007, by plain clothed Chinese security officials outside Bora Monastery. Officials at the Monastery later discovered that Mr. Gyatso’s room had been searched and that a bag full of religious scriptures, including CDs, had been removed. Mr Gyatso was at that moment being detained at an unknown location. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information she had received according to which Mr. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, then aged 6, disappeared together with his parents from Lhari, their home village in Tibet on 17 May 1995, three days after having been recognized as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama. According to the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama is the second highest ranking religious figure after the Dalai Lama. Mr. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima was reported to remain in isolation and concerns were expressed about his whereabouts, well-being and fate. It was further alleged that the Chinese Government interfered in the identification and training of significant reincarnations in order to control the political loyalties of these important figures in Tibetan society, weaken the influence of the traditional religious authorities and use the reincarnates’ influence among Tibetans. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information she had received concerning the reported demolition by the Chinese People’s Armed Police in May 2007 of a very large near completed gold and copper plated statue of Guru Padmasambava known as Guru Rinpoche of the Samye Monastery, Lhoka prefecture, Tibet autonomous region. It is the Special Rapporteur’s understanding that rubble from the statue has been transported to unknown locations. Samye Monastery is believed to be the first monastery ever built in Tibet. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government information they had received concerning Mr. Runggye Adak, of the Yonru nomadic group, as well as reportedly 200 people allegedly involved in a protest to release him from prison. group, as well as reportedly 200 people allegedly involved in a protest to release him from prison. According to the information received, on 1 August 2007, Mr. Adak took the stage during the annual horse racing festival in Lithang, in the Kanze autonomous prefecture in the Suchuan province. He allegedly made a statement defending the Dalai Lama’s return and the release of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima who has been recognized as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama.
The Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal regarding Kunkhen, an artist, and Mr. Lobsang Phuntsok, a 30 years old monk of the Lithang Monastery. Kunkhen was arrested on 22 August 2007 by Lithang County Public Bureau Security officials for having taken pictures of Mr. Ronggay A’drak [Runggye Adak] on 1 August 2007 when he was addressing a large Tibetan crowd gathered for the annual Lithang horse-race festival. Mr. Lobsang Phuntsok was arrested on 15 September 2007 following a raid carried out at his residence in the monastery by officials from the Lithang County Public Bureau Security. He was arrested on allegations of having established close ties with an artist named Kunkhen.
HRC 4th Session (8 March 2007) Symbol No. A/HRC/4/21/Add.1
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government of the People’s Republic of China information they had received regarding five Buddhist monks from Drepung Monastery in Lhasa. Their names are Ngawang Namdrol of Tsotod Township, Phenpo Lhundrup County, Lhasa Municipality; Ngawang Nyingpo of Khartse Township, Phenpo Lhundrup Country, Lhasa Municipality; Ngawang Thupen a.k.a. Shogbu Metok of Lhasa Inner City, Lhasa Municipality; Khenpo Ngawang Phelgyal of Rinpung County, Shigatse Prefecture and Phuntsok Thupwang of Gongkar County, Lhoka Prefecture. According to the allegations received, on 23 November 2005,
the five monks were arrested following a patriotic re-education ceremony that had been taking place at Drepung Monastery in Lhasa since October 2005. They are currently being held in Public Security Bureau places of detention. There are concerns that they may be subjected to torture or ill- treatment. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur also brought to the attention of the Government information they received concerning Tsering Dhondup, aged 30, a monk at Sera Monastery, near Lhasa and Changchup Gyaltsen, a disciplinarian at Sera Monastery. According to the information received, in July 2005, the authorities expelled Changchup Gyaltsen from Sera Monastery after he read out a request for prayer, which referred to the Dalai Lama. Tsering Dhondup, who is alleged to have drafted the prayer, disappeared on the same day. Response from the Government is available.
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 62nd Session (27 March 2006) Symbol No. E/CN. 4/2006/5/Add.1
The Special Rapporteur sent this communication to underline the tenth anniversary of the disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, 16 years. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, then aged 6, disappeared together with his parents from Lhari, their home village in Tibet on 17 May 1995, three days after having been recognized as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama. Their whereabouts were not known. The Special Rapporteur wished to express her concern about the grave interference with the freedom of belief of the Tibetan Buddhists who have the right to determine their clergy in accordance with their own rites and who have been deprived of their religious leader. Response from the Government is available.
The Special Rapporteur brought to the attention of the Government the situation of Sonam, a monk from the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, who was arrested on or around 21 August 2005 at the rearvehicle entrance of the Potala Palace.
The Special Rapporteur was informed that, in July 2005; the Chinese authorities had expelled some 40 Buddhist nuns (out of a total number of 50) from Gyarak monastery. They had been forced to participate in a state led re -education campaign, part of which is to sign written statements condemning the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled religious leader.
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS 61st Session (15 March 2005) Symbol No. E/CN. 4/2005/61/Add.1
The Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of China regarding Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, a 54-year-old Buddhist religious leader whose case has been addressed by the Special Rapporteur in the past. According to information received, he was at imminent risk of execution, following a conviction based on a confession obtained under torture. It was reported that he was arrested on 7 April 2002 following a bombing incident in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on 3 April 2002. He was found guilty on 29 November 2002 in a secret trial by the Kardze (Ganzi) Intermediate People’s Court in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, for “causing explosions” and “inciting separatism”.