Engnews July 2015

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RFA Breaking News: Chinese Authorities Snatch Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's Ashes from Tibetans

by Paul Eckert

Chinese Authorities Snatch Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's Ashes from Tibetans July 20, 2015 - The ashes of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche were forcibly taken from Tibetans who were carrying the revered monk's cremated remains to his home county of Nyagchuka, a Tibetan living in India told RFA’s Tibetan Service on Monday. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, 65, who died on July 12 in the 13th year of a life sentence imposed for what rights groups and supporters have described as a wrongful conviction on a bombing charge, was cremated by prison authorities on July 16 against the wishes of his family. Four Tibetans who stayed in the Sichuan capital, Chengdu, to receive the ashes were carrying them back to Nyagchuka ( in Chinese, Yajiang) and stopped over night at a town in Jagsamka (Luding) county on July 16. "At that time, the Chinese authorities came to them in the night and forced them to give back the remains. They even threatened to throw the ashes into the local river in Luding," Geshe Jamyang Nyima, a source in exile with connections to the monk's family, told RFA . "We don’t know whether they actually dumped the ashes in the river or not, but it was an unfortunate incident,” he added. The death in prison of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who was widely respected among Tibetans for his efforts to protect Tibetan culture and the environment, added to simmering tensions in Tibetan parts of Sichuan and beyond. The cremation in defiance of his family's request that his remains be returned to them was followed by the detention of the sister of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and that woman’s daughter. Dolkar Lhamo, 55, and Nyima Lhamo, aged about 25, were detained in the provincial capital Chengdu at about 8:00 a.m. on July 17 by police sent from their native Lithang (Litang) county. “It was extremely horrible action on the part of the Chinese authorities. Even if the body was not handed over to the relatives and students, snatching the remains of the cremated body of Rinpoche after it was handed over was unimaginable," said Geshe Jamyang Nyima. "They should at least leave the relatives alone in peace. But his sister Dolkar Lhamo and her daughter were taken away by Lithang police from Chengdu town on July 17, and nothing has been heard about them too. It is sheer bullying and unreasonable," he added. Reported by Lobsang Choephel for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Paul Eckert. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/tibet-lama-07202015173154.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 2 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS: Popular Tibetan Monk Serving Life Sentence Dies in Chinese Jail

by Param

Popular Tibetan Monk Serving Life Sentence Dies in Chinese Jail JULY 13, 2015—A popular Tibetan monk serving a life term in prison in China's Sichuan province has died after being known to be in extremely poor health with a serious heart condition for which he allegedly received no treatment, according to sources and rights groups. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who had been imprisoned since 2002 after what rights groups and supporters described as a wrongful conviction on a bombing charge, died on Sunday, the sources said. He was 65 years old. "Chinese police informed his relatives that he was seriously ill and when they rushed to visit him, they were told he was already dead," one source inside Tibet told RFA's Tibetan Service. Another source said Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's body has not been handed over to his family after his death at 4:00 p.m. local time Two of his relatives had been in Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, for more than a week hoping to visit the ailing monk in Mianyang jail but they were not allowed by the authorities to see him, the source said. Death sentence Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who was highly respected by Tibetans, was charged with involvement in an April 3, 2002 bombing in the central square of Chengdu and initially sentenced to death in December that year along with an assistant, Lobsang Dondrub. His death sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment, but Lobsang Dondrub was executed almost immediately, prompting an outcry from rights activists who questioned the fairness of the trial. New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) concluded in a report two years after the trial that the legal proceedings against Tenzin Delek Rinpoche had been “procedurally flawed” and that he was charged only in order to “curb his efforts to foster Tibetan Buddhism … and his work to develop Tibetan social and cultural institutions.” Authorities had begun to perceive Tenzin Delek Rinpoche as a threat as his “local status rose and he successfully challenged official policies on a number of issues,” HRW said in its report. 'Devastated' Students for a Free Tibet, a global Tibetan group, said Sunday it was "devastated" by his death. "A Tibetan hero has died in Chinese prison," it said. "Over 13 years of unjust imprisonment and torture in prison left him with critical medical conditions for which he received no treatment," the group said. It charged that he "has died under suspicious circumstances," calling him "a revered Tibetan Buddhist teacher and outspoken advocate for his people." "Tibetans inside Tibet are already demanding local authorities to release his body to arrange Buddhist religious rites," the group said. Recognized by Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama as a reincarnated lama in the 1980s, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has been a community leader and a staunch advocate for the protection and preservation of Tibetan culture, religion, and way of life for decades, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) had said. He has been held in detention for over 13 years "for a crime that he did not commit," the ICT said. Petition More than 40,000 Tibetans had signed their names to a petition asking for his release, each attesting to their signature by adding a thumbprint in red ink, the ICT said. "Every single one of the 40,000 Tibetan signers knows that they risk their freedom and perhaps their lives by speaking out for the Tenzin Delek Rinpoche." Tibetans had also been protesting for his release since he was detained in 2002 and many were themselves jailed for the action. Reported by Lhuboom and Kalden Lodoe for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Kalden Lodoe. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/monk-07132015015651.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

9 years, 3 months

RFA Breaking News: Tibetan Monk Self-Immolates in Kyegudo in Sixth Protest Burning This Year

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan Monk Self-Immolates in Kyegudo in Sixth Protest Burning This Year JULY 9, 2015 - A Tibetan monk set himself ablaze on Thursday in northwestern China’s Qinghai province in an apparent challenge to Beijing’s rule in Tibetan areas in the sixth such protest this year, according to sources in the region and in exile. The burning in the central square of Kyegudo in the Yulshul (in Chinese, Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture brings to 142 the total number of self-immolations by Tibetans since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009. The still unidentified monk was taken to hospital for treatment of his burns, but no word has been received on his current condition or whereabouts, sources said. “On July 9, sometime between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. [local time] a monk self-immolated in Kyegudo’s Gesar Square,” a Tibetan living in exile told RFA’s Tibetan Service on Thursday, citing contacts in the town. “We still don’t know what his name is or which monastery he came from,” he said, adding that though sources said the monk was transported to a local hospital for treatment, it is unclear if he was taken there by bystanders or the police. Kyegudo, the site of Thursday’s protest and Yulshul prefecture’s main town, was hit by a devastating earthquake on April 14, 2010 that largely destroyed the town and killed almost 3,000 residents by official count. Thursday’s burning is the sixth Tibetan self-immolation to take place since the beginning of the year. It follows the May 27 protest of Sangye Tso, a Tibetan mother of two, who set herself ablaze and died outside Chinese police headquarters in Chone (Zhuoni) county in Gansu province’s Kanlho (Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Reported by Kalden Lodoe for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Benpa Topgyal. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/sixth-07092015165728.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 3 months

RFA Breaking News: Thailand Rejects Claims it Killed Uyghurs Who Resisted Deportation

by Paul Eckert

RFA Breaking News: Thailand Rejects Claims it Killed Uyghurs Who Resisted Deportation JULY 9, 2015 - The Thai government on Thursday rejected a claim by the World Uyghur Congress that at least 25 men among a group of nearly 100 Uyghurs had been killed when they resisted moves by authorities to forcibly repatriate them to China. Thai authorities confirmed Thursday it had forcibly repatriated nearly 100 Uyghurs to China, a move that drew criticism from human rights groups and protests in Turkey over the expulsion of the Turkic-speaking Muslim minority that suffers harsh repression under Chinese rule. In a statement, the WUC had asserted that it has “direct information over the phone from a source on the ground in Thailand who indicated that at least 25 men were also killed trying to resist boarding the plane.” But Thai government deputy spokesman Weerachon Sukhontapatipak told Radio Free Asia that “there was no such thing as claimed by WUC.” The Munich-based WUC appeared to have removed the claim about the killing hours after publishing the statement on its website Thursday. The group had a day earlier accurately reported the impending expulsion of the more than 90 Uyghurs. Another Thai government source, speaking on condition of anonymity to RFA, also dismissed the WUC claim. “It is not true. There was no killing as claimed by the WUC,” he said, adding that Thai authorities could provide video evidence to show that there was no deaths in the run up to the repatriation. I believe we can prove this with sort of evidence, perhaps video footage, which I believe we may have during the operation,” he said. Initial report of 25 shot dead The WUC said in its statement that a first plane was loaded primarily with women and children, along with a small group of men, and departed without incident. “The second plane, however, was “intended to transport around 65 men, but authorities faced some resistance from the men in doing so.” It said that in the process 25 men were killed. Later, the paragraph on the killing was removed from its statement on its website. Wednesday's forced deportation followed the resettlement in Turkey last week of 173 women and children from among the detainees in Thailand, following long-lasting negotiations between the two countries. Figures given for the overnight deportation through a military section of Bangkok's main airport have ranged from 90 to 108. Thai officials said another 50 Uyghurs remained in the country awaiting determination of their status. The Uyghur arrivals in Turkey were among about 370 Uyghurs held in Thai government-run refugee detention centers in Padang Besar—in Songkhla province’s Sadao district—and the cities of Bangkok, Rayong and Trat, since March 2014 in what visitors have described as cramped and unhygienic conditions. Many have complained of worsening conditions and poor food quality, and detainees held a hunger strike in January to demand authorities improve the situation at the Padang Besar facility. One ethnic Uyghur boy detained there died last December after contracting tuberculosis. The detainees had remained in limbo more than a year into their detention, with Beijing demanding they be repatriated to China. Amnesty sees 'despicable act' Thailand, run by a military junta that has suspended democracy and is accused of human rights abuses, appeared uncomfortable being caught in a dispute among China, the Uyghurs who have been fleeing repression in increasing numbers and Turkey, which has offered hundreds of Uyghurs safe haven in recent years. “(If) they (Uyghurs) want to fight their way, just do it, but why cause friction between Thailand and Turkey, China or Uyghurs?" Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thai prime minster, told reporters in Bangkok on Thursday. Prayuth also said the repatriated Uyghurs "will be provided with justice and safety. China confirmed they will be given access to fair justice." Those Chinese pledges are not taken seriously by human rights experts, who point to decades of systematic repression in the Xinjiang Uyhgur Autonomous Region, as that region is formally called. “This is akin to sentencing them to the worst punishment imaginable. Time and time again we have seen Uughurs returned to China disappearing into a black hole, with some detained, tortured and in some cases, sentenced to death and executed,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Regional Director for East Asia at Amnesty International. “Deporting these people is a despicable act, and illegal under international law. If the Thai authorities go ahead with any further deportations, they will be putting the lives of many at risk,” he said in a statement issued by the London-based rights watchdog. The U.S. State Department also condemned Thailand's move, saying it put the 100 or more Uyghurs in a position "where they could face harsh treatment and a lack of due process." In a statement from Washington, State Department spokesman John Kirby urged Thailand "not to carry out further forced deportations of ethnic Uyghurs" and called on China to "uphold international norms and to ensure transparency, due process, and proper treatment of these individuals." In recent years, hundreds of Uyghurs have been leaving China to escape persecution and repression by authorities and loss of land to settlers from eastern China. Chinese authorities have blamed an upsurge of violence in Xinjiang since 2012 on terrorists and Islamist insurgents seeking to establish an independent state, and have cracked down on Uyghur religion and culture. Reported by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai and Paul Eckert. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/thailand-uyghur-07092015140950.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 3 months

RFA Breaking News: Thailand Expels Nearly 100 Uyghurs to Uncertain Fate in China

by Paul Eckert

Thailand Expels Nearly 100 Uyghurs to Uncertain Fate in China JULY 9, 2015 - Thailand said on Thursday it had forcibly repatriated nearly 100 Uyghurs to China, a move that drew criticism from human rights groups and protests in Turkey over the expulsion of the Turkic-speaking Muslim minority that suffers harsh repression under Chinese rule. Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand’s prime minster, told reporters his country was “not part of the dispute” between China and Uyghurs and had received guarantees from Beijing that the Uyghurs forced onto planes late on Wednesday would be treated fairly. “They will be provided with justice and safety. China confirmed they will be given access to fair justice,” Prayuth told reporters at the government house in Bangkok. “If they are not implicated in any offenses, they will be released and given land for making a living. But if any are implicated with crimes, they will be tried,” he said. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said it was shocked at the deportation of a group believed to include women and children who did not wish to return to China. “While we are seeking further clarifications on what happened exactly, we are shocked by this deportation of some 100 people and consider it a flagrant violation of international law," said Volker Türk, UNHCR's Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, in a statement issued by the U.N. agency. "I strongly urge the Thai authorities to investigate this matter and appeal to Thailand to honor its fundamental international obligations, notably the principle of non-refoulement, and to refrain from such deportations in the future," he added. On Wednesday , the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) warned of the impending repatriation and appealed for international intervention. The WUC said it was “gravely concerned” about the fate of the Uyghurs, noting that the consequences of their repatriation were likely to include criminal allegations used to justify punishments that would be inflicted on them upon their arrival in China. “It is anticipated that the Chinese government is behind this covert, and indeed heinous, operation which aims to bring these Uyghurs back to harsh punishment, which possibly includes capital punishment,” the WUC said. The forced deportation came despite the resettlement in Turkey last week of 173 women and children from among the detainees in Thailand, following long-lasting negotiations between the two countries. Maj. Gen. Weerachon Sukhontapatipak, deputy spokesperson for the Thai government, said in Bangkok the repatriation was ‘in line with a citizen verification procedure, which indicated them as Chinese and they must follow China’s justice.” The earlier release of Uyghurs to Turkey was a different matter, he told reporters at a news conference. “In regards with the 170 Uyghurs Thailand sent over to Turkey late June, this is an indication for Thailand’s compliance with international-standard citizenship verification process. They are verified being Turkish, so they were sent to Turkey,” said Sukhontapatipak. “We admitted it is a very sensitive security issue. However, Thailand has continual discussions with both China and Turkey,” he added. “There are about 50 Uyghur who are pending citizenship verification completion,” said Sukhontapatipak. Leaving China in droves In Turkey, local protesters responded to the expulsion by smashing windows and ransacking parts of the honorary Thai consulate in Istanbul. “Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, has had a direct phone conversation with the Turkish prime minister and asked him to maintain security for the Thai diplomats and Thai citizens in Turkey. He has great concerns on the issue.” Sukhontapatipak said. The detainees had remained in limbo more than a year into their detention, with Beijing demanding they be repatriated to China. During the last couple of years, Uyghurs have been leaving China in droves to escape persecution and repression by authorities who consider them separatists and terrorists and have cracked down on their religion and culture. Chinese authorities have blamed an upsurge of violence in Xinjiang since 2012 on terrorists and Islamist insurgents seeking to establish an independent state. Several Asian nations—including Thailand—have bowed to demands by Beijing to repatriate Uyghurs fleeing persecution in Xinjiang, despite warnings from rights groups and the Uyghur exile community that they may face prison sentences upon their return. Reported by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Paul Eckert. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/thailand-uyghurs-07092015085045.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

9 years, 3 months

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Engnews July 2015