Shokjang
Photo:SFT
The case of prominent Tibetan writer Druklo has attracted the attention of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Despite denying all allegations, Druklo – known by his pen name Shokjang – was imprisoned for “separatism” in February this year. He was given a three-year sentence, and Students for a Free Tibet (SFT)have been working tirelessly ever since to raise awareness of his plight.
The case has been brought to the attention of the Chinese Ambassador to the UK at a human rights dialogue, as well as during Parliamentary Questions and in the FCO’s annual Human Rights Report. Giving the lawsuit a considerable boost, on December 2 the SFT received a letter from the British government office assuring the organisation that their concerns were shared.
“Separatism” is an umbrella term covering anything deemed to threaten Chinese authority and Shokjang, it is thought, was arrested for this reason. He was outspoken, his blog and social media posts telling of the increased presence of armed security forces in Tibet, in addition to political repression and environmental degradation.
Shokjang, who was born in Sangchu County is one of four Tibetans included in the 2016 list of jailed journalists in China. The report, published on December 15 was compiled by international press freedom group Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and revealed that out of 259 journalists imprisoned worldwide, 38 are in China. Last year this figure was even higher and China topped the list with 49.
Gartse Jigme
Photo: tchrd
Author Gartse Jigme is also among the four incarcerated Tibetans. The monk previously lived in the Rebgong Gartse monastery in the Malho prefecture of Qinghai province but was sentenced to five years in May 2013 on charges almost identical to those of Shokjang.
Sources say that his conviction was in connection with the second volume of his book, Tsenpoi Nyingtob (The Warrior’s Courage) where he expressed his views on issues which included Chinese policies in Tibet, self-immolation, minority rights, and the Dalai Lama. His whereabouts and condition are unknown.
Lobsang Jamyang (Lomig)
Photo:freetibet.org
Writer and blogger Lobsang Jamyang– also known as Lomig– was arrested in April 2015 by Chinese police in Ngaba County in Sichuan province. He was sentenced to seven and a half years for leaking state secrets and reports suggest that his health is deteriorating.
His articles were critical of the Chinese government’s policies in Tibet and included pieces on environmental degradation, freedom of speech, the 2008 uprising and the spate of self-immolations that were used against him during his closed-door trail.
Kunchok Tsephel
Photo: freetibet.org
Writer Kunchok Tsephel was arrested at the end of 2015 for the same reason as Jamyang. A few years previously he had established a website to serve as an open news and literary platform for Tibetans living in western China. The Chinese authorities heavily censor the internet, especially in potentially volatile areas and Tsephel’s boldness earnt him a 15-year sentence.
Reports of torture and maltreatment in Chinese prisons are rife, and the release of these writers – as well as all Tibetan prisoners being held in Chinese prisons on dubious charges –largely depends not only on non-government organisations such as Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), but on international communities. Gaining the recognition of government groups such as the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office is vital if enough pressure is to be applied to China to secure their release.
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