Phuntsok Wangdu
Name: Phuntsok Wangdu
Age: 36
Arrested: 7 February 1997
Reason: "Espionage"
Sentence: 14 years
Expected release: 2011
Prison: Drapchi Prison
Phuntsok Wangdu was born in July 1969 in Drushor, Talatsi District. He
became a monk and joined the Ganden Monastery where he studied Buddhist
philosophy. Phuntsok Wangdu remained in the Ganden Monastery until the
Chinese authorities forced him out and he had to flee to India for fear
of his life. In India he joined the Buddhist Dialectic School based in
Dharamsala. He remained in India until the winter of 1993 when he
returned to Tibet to visit his 90 year old grandmother.
On his return to Tibet, Tibet Autonomous Region intelligence officers
arrested and detained him in Sithru Prison. There was no apparent
justification for his arrest, but the Chinese authorities kept Phuntsok
Wangdu detained for six months without any official proceedings. When
eventually released, he remained subject to severe restrictions.
These restrictions lasted until 1997, when Phuntsok Wangdu was arrested
again on the eve of the Tibetan New Year; He was detained along with
his brother, and a 19 year old cousin. They were held in the Gutsa
Detention Centre, where they were reportedly subject to excessive
police brutality. In May 1997 Phuntsok Wangdu was taken to a police
station in west Lhasa, where the Chinese forcibly beat a confession out
of him. Following an unfair trial, Phuntsok was sentenced to 14 years
and is currently at the Drapchi Prison in Tibet.
He has been the victim of various forms of torture whilst imprisoned,
and has reportedly tried to commit suicide to escape the harassment and
torture of the Chinese authorities.
(Sources: Tibet Information Network, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights
and Democracy, Gu-Chu-Sum, Free Tibet Campaign, Jamyang Tsultrin.)
Action:
Write to the Chinese authorities listed below requesting:
The immediate release of Phuntsok Wangdu.
A commitment that the torture and maltreatment of
all prisoners arrested for "counter-revolutionary" offences or
"endangering state security" in Tibet will cease. (China does not
recognise the expression "political prisoners".)
An independent investigation into prison
conditions in Drapchi and into reports that prisoners have been
tortured in detention, with the investigation's findings to be made
public.
Unconditional access for the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to all prisons run by the Chinese authorities.
Addresses:
1.Governor of Drapchi Prison
Name: Jianyuzhuang
Address: Xizang Zizhiqu Di Yi Jianyu
Lasashi 850003
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Governor
2.Minister of Justice
Name: Zhang Fusen Buzhang
Address: Sifabu
10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie
Chaoyang Qu
Beijingshi 100020
People's Republic of China
Email: minister@legalinfo.gov.cn
Fax: +86 10 6520 5236 or +86 10 6529 2345 (c/o Ministry of Communications)
Salutation: Dear Minister
Sample letters in Word/Wordpad format: are available for download.
Letter 1
Letter 2
