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Take action to save the lives of Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak

photo courtesy of Phayul.comOn April 8th, China sentenced two Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak, to death for their alleged involvement in last year's protests in Lhasa. Without a reprieve, they could be executed at any time. Help save their lives by taking action now.

A number of Tibetans have also received harsh prison sentences, including: Tenzin Phuntsok and Kangtsuk (sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve), Dawa Sangpo (life imprisonment), and three Tibetan women in their early twenties - Penkyi (death sentence with a two-year reprieve), Penkyi (life imprisonment), and Chime Lhamo (10 years' imprisonment).

DEATH IN LHASA: Nobel Peace Prize laureates Vaclav Havel and Desmond Tutu, along with other international figures publicized a joint appeal on April 15 to China to stop the executions. Writers, artists and politicians from around the world have also signed onto the appeal. Click here to see the list of signatories.

These death sentences signal an alarming escalation in the Chinese government's widespread campaign to punish and intimidate any Tibetan who dares to speak out against Chinese rule.

TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE EXECUTIONS:

* Wath the video appeal by former Tibetan political prisoner Ngawang SangdrolWatch and share a video by Ngawang Sangdrol, a former Tibetan political prisoner, appealing to people worldwide to take action to stop the executions >>>

* Sign the facebook petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao and urge others to take action.

* Send an urgent appeal calling on the Chinese government to immediately halt the executions. Print and fax/mail your letter to the Chinese government and the Chinese embassy/consulate nearest you.

* Organize a protest or petition drive in your community. Ask volunteers to help you collect petition signatures in a busy spot on campus or at a busy pedestrian location in your community. Download a petition to China's Minister of Justice.
Click here to download the petition in Chinese.
Click here to download the petition in German.

* Alert your elected representatives to the situation and call on your government to condemn these sentences. Download a sample letter to send to your representatives. If you live in the U.S., click here to send a letter now.

* Submit an online appeal calling on China's Supreme People's Court to overturn the decision.

TALKING POINTS

Below are suggested talking points for speaking to government representatives or the media.

* Tibetans and their supporters and people of conscience worldwide condemn these harsh sentences and call for an immediate halt to the executions.
* These sentences are part of a widespread and violent campaign by the Chinese authorities to punish and silence any Tibetan who dares to speak out against Chinese rule.
* It is widely known that there is no rule of law in China and certainly no justice for Tibetans and we call on the international community to speak out against these planned executions.
* The Chinese authorities routinely deny Tibetans their basic legal rights and protections within the so-called judicial system in China and there is no reason for us to believe the cases of Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak are any different.

Note: Human Rights Watch released a report in March 2009 concluding that the process of trials and imprisonment in Tibet over the past year has been politically motivated and that the "principle of independence of the judiciary is thoroughly undermined by leadership's demand that court and police tailor their actions to political requirements." Read the full Human Rights Watch report.

MORE INFORMATION:

UPDATE: 04/21/09 - Three Tibetan woman in their early twenties have been convicted on alleged arson charges. Penkyi, a 21-year-old woman from Sakya County was sentened to death with a two year repreive. The two other woman, Penkyi (age 23) from Nyemo County and Chime Lhamo (age 20) from were sentenced to live imprisonment and 10 years in prison. Learn more.

On April 8, 2009 Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People's Court tried and sentenced five Tibetans in three separate cases related to alleged arson attacks in March 2008 in Lhasa - Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak were sentenced to death without a repreive, Tenzin Phuntsok and Kangtsuk were sentenced to death without a repreive, and Dawa Sangpo was given a life sentence.

Read Amnesty International's statement condemning the sentences from April 9, 2009.

Read the Xinhua (China's state-run media) article announcing the sentences.

Press Releases:

* Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)'s press release denouncing the sentences.
* Two Tibetans sentenced to death in Lhasa (ICT)
* China sentences two to death over alleged role in starting fires in Lhasa protests (FTC))

Related Articles:

* China sentences 2 to death for fires in Tibet riot (The Associated Press)
* Tibet demonstrators get death sentences (Radio Netherlands)
* Two Tibetans sentenced to death (BBC News)
* Two Tibetans get death for role in Lhasa riots (Reuters)

More details on China's ongoing crackdown in Tibet following last year's protests:
The overwhelming majority of protests that have taken place since March 2008 against Chinese rule have been peaceful, but Chinese authorities have responded with extreme violence and intimidation. More than 150 protests have taken place in over 50 locations across Tibet.

More than 200 Tibetans have been killed in China's brutal crackdown and despite that fact that Tibet is currently under de facto martial law, the Tibetans continue to protest in Tibet.

There are 230 known cases of Tibetans being sentenced for their alleged involvement in the protests (with sentences ranging from six months to life). It is estimated that more than 6,000 Tibetans were detailed following the protests and according to the American Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC) the whereabouts of 1,200 Tibetans remain unaccounted for.

The last known death sentences to be passed in Tibet were in December 2002. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and Lobsang Dhondup were sentenced to death for their alleged involvement in a bomb explosion. Lobsang Dhondup was executed on 26 January 2003 immediately after the sentences were upheld following an appeal. Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's sentence was suspended for two years. He is now serving a life sentence.

In 2007 the Supreme People's Court assumed power to review all death sentences handed down in China. The process allows for 10 days for an appeal to be lodged after the initial sentencing. The Supreme People's Court then reviews the case and makes a decision either ordering a re-trial or confirming the sentence, after which the execution takes place immediately. This means, depending on the speed of the process, the executions could take place imminently.