Fw: Free Tibet!

[Lilia Patterson]

>E-MAIL PETITION
>> >
>> > Please take a few moments to read this e-mail.
>> > Ngawang Sangdrol is a Buddhist nun who believes that Tibet should be
>> > independent from China.
>> > At the age of 10 she was arrested for the first time by Chinese
>> > authorities.
>> > Her only crime was to participate in a peaceful demonstration for the
>> > independency of Tibet from China. When she was 13 she took again part
in>a peaceful>> > demonstration. She was too young to be brought to trial
under Chinese
>law,>> > nevertheless Chinese authorities held her for 9 months.
>> >
>> > In June 1992, at the age of 15, she was once more arrested by Chinese
>> > authorities for trying to stage a peaceful demonstration with fellow
>nuns.
>> > Subsequently she was accused for "subversive and separatistic
>activities">> > and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment in the notorious
Drapchi prison.
>> >>> > Her sentence was extended for another 6 years in October 1993. The
>reason>> > for this was the fact that she had sung and recorded
independence
songs>in the>> > prison together with 13 other nuns. The tape with those
songs was
>smuggled out>> > of jail and distributed throughout Tibet.
>> >
>> > In 1996 Ngawang Sangdrol's sentence was again prolonged for another 8
>years as>> > she shouted "free Tibet" while standing in the rain in the
prison's
>yard.
>> >
>> > The third extension of Ngawang's sentence was announced in October
1998
>when she>> > refused to acknowledge the Panchen Lama, whom the Chinese
authorities
>had>> > chosen( The Panchen Lama is the second most important political
and
>religious>> > dignitary of Tibet. He died in 1998 and ever since there has
been a
>> > dispute between Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama about who was
the>> > reincarnation of the Panchan Lama). Including this last extension
of 4
>years her total>> > sentence amounts to 21 years.
>> >
>> > Together with other prison inmates in the Drapchi prison Ngawang
>Sangdrol>> > suffers under inhuman treatment including beating and
solitary
>confinement with>> > reduced food rations. Today she has problems with her
kidneys as
result>> > of torture. This inhuman treatment of Ngawang Sangdrol and
prisoners
>> > throughout China is a clear violation of Article 5 of the Universal
>Declaration of>> > Human Rights which prohibits torture at all times and
under any
>circumstance.
>> >
>> > "Alas this sad song in my mind
>> > I send to those who help prisoners
>> > These feelings in this dark season
>> > [line indistinct]
>> > I'll never forget the horrible tortures.
>> > May this present misery in prison
>> > Never be inflicted on any sentient being"
>> >
>> > I ask you to help Ngawang Sangdrol by signing this petition and
sending a >> > copy >> > to all your friends.
>> >
>> > The list will be printed out and sent to:
>> > Premier of the People's Republic of China
>> > ZHU Rongji Zongli
>> > Guowuyuan
>> > 9 Xihuangchenggenbeijie
>> > Beijingsh1 100032
>> > People's Rebuplic of China
>> >
>> >
>> > By signing this, we demand that Ngawang Sangdrol is to be released
>> > unconditionally and immediately. Furthermore we demand that the
Chinese >> > authorities respect Article 5 of the UDHR by treating Ngawang
Sangdrol
>and other >> > prisoners in China with dignity, and by bringing to an end
any form of
>> > torture and inhuman treatment. We demand the Chinese authorities to
>disclose all >> > information about the health of prisoners  throughout
China by
allowing >an independent organization to inspect prisons in China.
>> >
>> > NAME, CITY, COUNTRY
>> >
>> > 1)  Matthias Noester, Vienna, Austria
>> > 2)  Angelika Gerstacker, Vienna, Austria
>> > 3)  Ilse Heinecke, Vienna, Austria
>> > 4)  Zeynep Guven, Vienna, Austria
>> > 5)  Seniz Oezhan, Vienna, Austria
>> > 6)  Philippe Natural, Vienna, Austria
>> > 7)  Anette Lillestrand, Halden, Norway
>> > 8)  Maya Ghrewati, London, England
>> > 9)  Joanna Huddart, Oxford, England
10) Lilia Patterson

>> > PLEASE COPY this email on to a new message, sign the bottom and
forward >it >> > (It is better to copy rather than forward the petition)
>> > to everyone on your address lists. If you receive this list with more
>thanm 50 >> > names on it, please e-mail a copy of it to : dReith at gmx.at .
>> > Even if you decide not to sign, please pass it over!
>> > Thank you.
>> >
>> > David Reith member of group 10 amnesty international Austria.
>> >>> > >> > for further information about amnesty international and Tibet
visit
the >> > following sites:
>> > www.amnesty.org
>> > www.hrchina.com
>> > www.amnesty.at
>> >
>> > For a transcript of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights visit
the
>> > following site.
>> > www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
>> >
>> > please note: Amnesty international takes no position on the question
of >> > Tibetan >> > independence, self determination or any other
territorial question.
>> >
>> >