Melody in Prison: Ngawang Choephel
	UPDATE 23 October 1996

Shao Wenguang, the counselor of the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, has acknowledged that Ngawang Choephel was detained in September 1995 in Shigatse, Tibet. Following months of appeals by members of numerous human rights and Tibet support groups, this marks the first official confirmation of Choephel's detention and the charges under which he is being investigated. However, the embassy did not respond to requests for information regarding his current whereabouts or health, nor was it revealed whether he has been formally charged.

In reply to an inquiry from Republican Senator James M. Jeffords of Vermont, a copy of which was obtained by the Associated Press yesterday, Mr. Shao wrote: "We have learnt that, funded by some Americans, Ngawang Choephel was sent by the Dalai Lama's 'government in exile' to Tibet, where he used the cover of collecting Tibetan folk songs to gather sensitive intelligence and engaged in illegal separatist activities. His activities are suspected to have violated Article 4, section 2 (5) of the National Security Law of the People's Republic of China." This refers to a broad security law against acts aimed at overthrowing the socialist system or stealing state secrets for an enemy.

Reuter news service reported that on October 15th, a similar letter written by Mr. Shao on behalf of Ambassador Li Daoyou was sent to Bernard Sanders, an independent congressman from Vermont who was one of the moving forces behind a "Dear Colleague" letter addressed to Chinese President Jiang Zemin. That letter, signed by 43 congressional representatives on September 15th, requested that the Chinese "take the necessary steps to either release Tibetan Fulbright Scholar Ngawang Choephel or provide him a fair and public trial before a civilian and impartial court." The congressional letter also stated that, because Choephel has neither committed nor been charged with any crime, his "extrajudicial incarceration violates numerous controlling provisions of international law and human rights, including those found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." Mr. Shao's letter responded that "The judicial department of the Tibetan Autonomous Region is handling his case according to law."

Tempa Tsering, secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan government-in-exile's Central Tibetan Administration based in Dharamsala, India, commented as follows:

The Chinese accusation that the Tibetan Government in exile has sent Ngawang Choephel is only an excuse for his further detention. There is nothing new in this allegation. Many Tibetans have been arrested and tortured by the authorities in Tibet on the pretext that they have been sent by Dharamsala. Ngawang Choephel, a talented musician, went to Tibet on his own volition, to do research on Tibet's folk and secular songs and dances before they are lost forever. We challenge the authorities in Tibet to produce Ngawang Choephel before an impartial international tribunal so that Ngawang Choephel could defend the charges leveled against him either on his own or assisted by a competent lawyer.

Right now, our main concern is the safety and the health of Ngawang Choephel. We appeal to the international community to urge the Chinese leadership to release Ngawang Choephel immediately. We know and the Chinese authorities know that Ngawang Choephel's only crime is the crime of trying to preserve the rich Tibetan musical heritage which the Chinese have sinicized to suit their claim over Tibet.

Today the US Department of State issued to its media division a press guidance for responding to inquiries on Choephel's case. In it the US government said that it shares the concern of the American public regarding Ngawang Choephel. The State Department continued:

In the absence of any evidence that he has committed any crime, we urge the Chinese and the Tibetan Autonomous Region authorities to release Ngawang Choephel immediately.

We have no information that Mr. Choephel was involved in anything other than pursuing his professional interests in the field of ethnomusicologist, the non-violent video-taping of traditional Tibetan dances. He is a trained ethnomusicologist, and video-taping of a dance is not incompatible with his profession. The US is concerned, as the Secretary stated in his September 25 meeting with Deputy Premier Quian, about the preservation of Tibet's unique cultural, linguistic and religious heritage.

Bhungchung Tsering of the International Campaign for Tibet said that ICT is "trying to see if members of Congress will take up this case and ask [China] for evidence." He added that efforts are also being made to see what action the United Nations can take on Choephel's behalf.