Free Tenzin - How Canadians can help

[TMcG]

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist leader, was sentenced to death by the Chinese government and could be executed as early as December 2004 for his alleged involvement in an explosion in Eastern Tibet (Kham). No credible evidence linking him to this crime has been released publicly, nor did he receive a fair trial. It is widely believed that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is being targeted for his support of the Dalai Lama and his activities promoting Tibetan language, religion and culture.
*
In order to have the most impact, we need to act together in our push to save Tenzin Delek’s life. We are urging all supporters of CTC to participate in the following actions, organized in conjunction with Students for a Free Tibet Canada:
*
·*Download and send petitions / sample letters which are available online at: http://www.tibet.ca/en/urgentactions/default.shtml
·*Send Individual letters by email to:
* Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Pettigrew (mina@dfait-maeci.gc.ca)
* Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Mei Ping (chinaemb_ca@mfa.gov.cn)

[b boys]

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist leader, was sentenced to death by the Chinese government and could be executed as early as December 2004 for his alleged involvement in an explosion in Eastern Tibet (Kham). No credible evidence linking him to this crime has been released publicly, nor did he receive a fair trial. It is widely believed that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is being targeted for his support of the Dalai Lama and his activities promoting Tibetan language, religion and culture.
*
In order to have the most impact, we need to act together in our push to save Tenzin Delek’s life. We are urging all supporters of CTC to participate in the following actions, organized in conjunction with Students for a Free Tibet Canada:
*
·*Download and send petitions / sample letters which are available online at: http://www.tibet.ca/en/urgentactions/default.shtml
·*Send Individual letters by email to:
* Minister of Foreign Affairs, Pierre Pettigrew (mina@dfait-maeci.gc.ca)
* Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Mei Ping (chinaemb_ca@mfa.gov.cn)

I ain't part of the CTC but I'll send shit to them.

[TMcG]

Thanks so much. All the support is welcome.
(I should have edited the post a bit better to remove the CTC members bit huh!)

[b boys]

Thanks so much. All the support is welcome.
(I should have edited the post a bit better to remove the CTC members bit huh!)

No probelm, man. Those people are idiots.

[Hah, it's alright.]

[like2_drink]

No probelm, man. Those people are idiots.

[Hah, it's alright.]


who are they even?

and im defiently sendin some e-mails (y)

[like2_drink]

so whats goin on with tenzin these days? i havent heard anything really on him in the news ( i included it in my letter ) , anyone know?

[hummalumma]

They are calling him a terrorist but no news on his impending execution.
It is rare to call of an execution but I do have hope that they will reverse the decision- but I assume that a political compromise of some sort would have to be made.

I gather that if they did execute him, the bad publicity generated would affect business worldwide. I believe China commits 90% of executions around the world:


China carried out 90% of world's executions: report
December 5, 2004 - 10:41AM


China carried out almost 90 per cent of the world's executions last year, putting at least 5,000 people to death, according to an activist group campaigning to end capital punishment.

China is one of 60 countries that still have the death penalty, the Rome-based group Hands Off Cain said in a report issued yesterday. It said other governments carried out more than 500 executions.

China's government relies heavily on the death penalty in an effort to reassure the public that it is taking action against corruption and rising crime. People are executed for crimes ranging from murder and rape to tax fraud, petty theft and other nonviolent offences.

The figure given by Hands Off Cain for China's executions is higher than those reported by other human rights groups.

Amnesty International said in April China put 726 people to death last year - nearly two-thirds of all executions reported. But it said that figure was based on incomplete official information and the true number was believed to be much higher.

Iran had the second-highest number of known executions worldwide last year, with 154, according to Hands Off Cain. It said that as a proportion of its smaller population, the Islamic Republic "applies capital punishment just as much as China".

Iraq executed at least 113 people before former president Saddam Hussein's government was toppled on April 9 last year, the group said. The death penalty was suspended during the US administration but restored by the interim government of the Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi.

Vietnam executed at least 69 people, while the US put to death 65 people and Saudi Arabia carried out 52 executions, according to Hands Off Cain.

China's foreign ministry said earlier this year that the country lacked "conditions to abolish the death penalty". It insisted that Chinese courts were "prudent in the use" of executions.

China has tried in recent years to improve professional standards in its courts. But activists complain that penalties are not applied consistently and that in the midst of anti-crime campaigns, prisoners often can be sentenced to death for offences that weren't capital crimes at the time they were committed.

Under Chinese law, death sentences are automatically appealed, though reversals are rare. Chinese courts use both gunshot and lethal injection and reportedly has executed convicts for offences committed when they were as young as 16.

AP

[Doobiebee]

I'm not Canadian but I sent emails about it and I even sent one to my MP and got a reply which said: 'Thank you for your email to Minister Hockey. He has asked me to make enquiries and respond on his behalf.

Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is a senior Tibetan monk under a suspended death sentence in China. We have raised concerns about Tenzin Delek's situation with the Chinese authorities several times, including immediately after his detention and sentencing and on a number of occasions subsequently, including at the last Human Rights Dialogue, held in Canberra in October 2004. We urged China to overturn his death sentence. The Government remains concerned about Tenzin Delek and will continue to raise his case with the Chinese authorities.'

Anyway, the update is that he is not going to be executed as the Chinese authorities have commuted his sentence to life imprisonment because he didn't violate any laws in prison. But the prison conditions are still pretty bad because one of his students was released from prison and he was in pretty poor health. You can send a letter here about releasing political prisoners like Tenzin: http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/freetenzin