Fear of torture: Tibetan teacher, Dolma Gyab, sentenced to ten years for unpublished manuscript 

Dolma Gyab (Chinese: Zhou Ma Jia or Zhuo Shique), a history teacher (pictured right), was sentenced to ten years imprisonment on charges that appear to be espionage. He was detained in March 2005 and sentenced in September of the same year. Dolma Gyab appealed against the conviction but the court upheld the sentence and he is currently being held in Chushur (Chinese: Quishui) prison, near Lhasa.

No official information about his arrest or the nature of the charges against him is available. However, a letter written by Dolma Gyab, addressed to the United Nations Committee on Human Rights was smuggled out of prison. It emerges from the letter that the reason for his arrest was his unpublished manuscript of a book entitled "Restless Himalayas" which deals with issues such as democracy, autonomy and Tibet.

He also planned to publish a book on geology and the protection of the environment but "they [the Chinese authorities] again subjectively judged that I was providing intelligence to foreign powers".

Dolma Gyab continues in the letter, "They have taken away my freedom but they cannot take away my propagation of environmental protection and women's health; they can kill me but they can not kill off my love for the geological science".

During the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in November 2005 in Chushur Prison, Dolma Gyab was moved from his cell and kept hidden.

BACKGROUND

Dolma Gyab (30), a highly educated teacher, studied geography and history at Quinghai University and has a Masters degree from Beijing University. In 2003 he visited Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama where he studied English and Hindi. According to his friends, Dolma Gyab was very concerned and outspoken about the destruction of Tibet's fragile environment. In his letter Dolma Gyab states that while in India, he had given advice to the Tibetan Government in-exile about the need of strengthening promotion of environmental protection and women's health.

TAKE ACTION

Please write to the officials, listed on the other side of the page, with the following demands:

- To immediately release Dolma Gyab who was exercising his fundamental right of freedom of thought, conscience and expression as guaranteed by Articles 18 and 19 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, or to bring him to a fair and public trial under international human rights standards.
- To guarantee Dolma Gyab's safety and refrain from punishing him for writing the letter.
- To allow Dolma Gyab to be visited by his family, as well as by independent medical practitioners and human rights monitors to examine his health conditions.
- To investigate the alleged use of torture and unfair detainment of political prisoners and bring the perpetrators to justice.

1. Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Party Committee
Name: Zhang Qingli
Address: Zhonggong Xizang Zizhiqu Weiyuanhui
Lhasashi
Xizang Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Party Secretary

2. President of the Tibet Autonomous Regional High People's Court
Name: NYIMA Zhamdui Yuanzhang
Address: Xizang Zizhiqu Gaoji Renmin Fayuan
Lhasashi
Xizang Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear President

3. Please send copies of your letters to the Chinese Ambassador to the UK
Name: Mr Zha Peixin
Address: Chinese Embassy, 49-51 Portland Place, London W1B 1JL

You may wish to use the sample letter below.

SAMPLE LETTER

Date ____________

Dear Party Secretary

I am deeply disturbed to learn of the arrest of Dolma Gyab, (Chinese name: Zhou Ma Jia or Zhuo Shique), a history teacher from Lhasa. He was sentenced to ten years imprisonment on charges that appear to be espionage after being detained in March 2005 and sentenced in September of the same year. Dolma Gyab appealed against the conviction but the court upheld the sentence and he is currently being held in Chushur (Chinese: Quishui) prison, near Lhasa.

According to a letter written in prison by Dolma Gyab, the reason for his arrest was his unpublished manuscript of a book entitled "Restless Himalayas" which deals with issue of Tibet and his plan to write a book on geology and the protection of the environment. Allegedly, the Chinese authorities accused him of "providing intelligence to foreign power".

I also understand that during the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in November 2005 in Chushur prison Dolma Gyab was moved from his cell and kept hidden.

Freedom of thought, conscience and expression are fundamental human rights and are guaranteed by Articles 18 and 19 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Thus China must fulfil its obligations under international human rights law.

I urge the prison authorities to guarantee his safety and refrain from punishing Dolma Gyab for writing the letter. I also call for his immediate release or to bring him to a fair and public trial under international human rights standards and to allow Dolma Gyab to be visited by his family, as well as by independent medical practitioners and human rights monitors to examine his health conditions.

I also urge you to investigate the alleged use of torture and unfair detainment of political prisoners and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Yours Sincerely,

Name_______________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________

(Please send us copies of any replies you receive as this helps us to monitor the situation.)