Melody in Prison:
Ngawang Choephel

UPDATES

1996

28 March	Amnesty International issues appeal for Ngawang’s release
23 October	In response to congressional inquiries, Chinese embassy acknowledges Ngawang’s detention
10 December	Ngawang reportedly held in solitary confinement in Lhasa’s Sangyip Prison
24 December	Ngawang’s mother, Sonam Dekyi, appeals to People’s Republic of China for his release
27 December	Ngawang sentenced to 18 years imprisonment on charges of spying for US government
	1997
2 January	Responses to the sentence
10 January	Sonam Dekyi requests permission to visit her son
11 January	Voice of America editorial
17 January	Bernard Sanders circulates “Dear Colleague” letter in House of Representatives
21 January	Daniel Moynihan introduces Senate Resolution 19
30 January	48-hour fast held in Boston for Ngawang
4 February	Musicians petition Vice President Al Gore
5 February	Ngawang’s appeal denied; second appeal made
6 February	“Dear Colleague” letter to Albright from US Senate members
11 February	Letter to Al Gore from Daschle delegation
26 February	Tibet Day resolutions in Wisconsin
5 March	Australian Senate passes motion no. 427
10 March	US Senators speak of Ngawang and Tibetan National Uprising Day
11 March	US Senate unanimously accepts SR 19
11 March	US House members write to Albright, initiate House Concurrent Resolution 44
7 June	Free Tibet Campaign UK announces musicians’ petition to free Ngawang
28 July	Chinese petitioned to allow maternal visitation
16 September	Musicians’ petition campaign marks the second anniversary of Ngawang’s imprisonment
	1998
16 January	European Union resolution on special representative to Tibet
3 February	US State Department report on human rights practices in China
6 April	Human Rights Watch urges British Prime Minister Blair to obtain information about Ngawang at European Union-China summit talks
3 June	Sonam Dekyi’s year-long campaign to free or see her son
15 June	Chaksam-pa presents petition to President Clinton seeking Ngawang’s release
19 June	Human Rights Watch Academic Freedom Committee urges President Clinton to champion Ngawang’s cause in Beijing
1 July	Sonam Dekyi hospitalised, released
16 July	News of Ngawang’s condition and location
16 September	Third anniversary of Ngawang’s imprisonment is marked by announcement that Sonam Dekyi will tour US East Coast in October - with Tour Itinerary
7 October	Sonam Dekyi speaks at reception in Washington celebrating 50th anniversary of UN Declaration of Human Rights
15 October	US Senators urge Chinese government to provide travel visa to Sonam Dekyi
15 October	Sonam Dekyi at United Nations rally
20 October	Sonam Dekyi receives Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award on behalf of her son
26 October	Report of Sonam Dekyi’s visit to Middlebury College
26 October	Itinerary of Sonam Dekyi’s European tour to free her son
5 November	Ngawang reportedly transferred to Drapchi Prison in June, appeal denied
10 November	New information about Ngawang’s treatment in Nyari Detention Center
11 November	BBC's Everywoman program broadcasts “A Mother’s Love and Pain”
16 November	The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy provides an update on Sonam Dekyi’s tour
22 November	A summary of Sonam Dekyi’s campaign activities in Norway
28 November	Ngawang reported to be held in Powo Tramo Prison since July
15 December	22 French and French-speaking organizations support “A Mother's Appeal”
	1999
14 January	Sonam Dekyi appeals to Mary Robinson, the UN Commissioner of Human Rights
1 March	Tsering Norzom writes about Sonam Dekyi’s campaign to visit or free her son
7 March	As worrisome news is received about the health of both Sonam Dekyi and Ngawang Choephel, 46 French groups join in supporting “A Mother's Appeal”
11 March	U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues says administration is pressing hard to facilitate visitation privileges for Sonam Dekyi
5 April	Protesters march in New Delhi while Tibetan Youth Congress prepares to resume hunger strike at United Nations in Geneva; demands include Ngawang’s unconditional release
1 May	Tibetan Youth Congress calls off hunger strike in Geneva
3 May	Amnesty International USA Group #148 adopts Ngawang as a Prisoner of Conscience
10 May	Tibetans and supporters in Australia call for boycott of Chinese-sponsored performing arts tour that—especially in light of Ngawang's imprisonment—illustrates their misuses and destruction of Tibetan culture
24 June	The Washington Post reports on Sonam Dekyi’s vigil for her son; press attache at Chinese embassy in New Delhi denies knowledge of her
29 June	Vermont resident making 270-mile freedom walk for Ngawang is briefly joined by U.S. Senator James Jeffords
23 July	Letter from U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy in The Washington Post slams Chinese claim of ignorance about Sonam Dekyi’s appeal
20 September	Vermont delegation to summit in New Zealand finds Chinese officials open to possibility of discussions about Ngawang
23 September	Ngawang is reported to be suffering from tuberculosis and hepatitis
20 October	Demands of protestors in Paris include Ngawang’s immediate release
3 November	U.S. Senator James Jeffords meets with Admiral Joseph W. Preuher, nominee for post of U.S. ambassador to China, to discuss Ngawang’s case
5 November	Vermont Congressional Delegation reports receiving letters from Ambassador Li Zhaoxing—the first official communication about Ngawang’s condition and location since he was first detained in 1995
13 December	Students for a Free Tibet issues call for letters supporting medical parole
16 December	U.S. Senator James Jeffords urges physicians around the world to press for Ngawang’s release; mentions the Sonam Dekyi Fund established last April
	2000
6 January	Working Group of U.N. Commission on Human Rights declares Ngawang’s detention is in contravention of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
1 February	Reader's Digest Australia reports on Ngawang and his mother
14 February	Amnesty International urges health professionals to join letter-writing campaign
25 February	U.S. State Department’s report on human rights in China in 1999 devotes a paragraph to Ngawang
2 March	Director of International Campaign for Tibet testifies in Hearings on Human Rights in China and Tibet held by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on International Relations
23 March	U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy says Ngawang’s case symbolizes the Chinese human rights violations that should be condemned by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights
17 April	Report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights says that, according to Chinese authorities, Ngawang was hospitalized in prison hospital for two months in 1988 for treatment of bronchitis, a lung infection, and hepatitis
19 May	U.S. Senator Jim Jeffords says Chinese failure to observe the law in Ngawang’s case led to his withdrawal of support for permanent normal trading relations
25 July	Arrangements are announced for Sonam Dekyi to visit Ngawang in Tibet next week
9 August	Ngawang allowed two visits with his mother and uncle in Chengdu prison; mental and physical condition continue to worsen
11 August	Further details are released regarding controls and surveillance during Sonam Dekyi’s visit
11 August	Amnesty International renews appeal for Ngawang’s release
19 August	Sonam Dekyi calls upon international community and China to effect Ngawang’s release on medical grounds
19 August	Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy voices fears of further torture
20 August	The Hindustan Times also publishes Sonam’s account of her visit with Ngawang
27 September	Reporters Sans Frontières writes to the Chinese minister of justice, Gao Changli, to request Ngawang’s release
	2002
20 January	Ngawang released on medical parole to India via the USA; is now in care of the International Campaign for Tibet!!!!!!
23 January	Ngawang issues a statement

Now that Ngawang is free...

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These updates are based on information provided by Agence France Presse, Amnesty International, Associated Press, Boston Inquirer, British Broadcasting Corporation, Congressional Record, Human Rights Watch/Asia, International Campaign for Tibet, The New York Times, Office of Tibet - London, Tibet Information Network, Reuters, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), Tibet People's Broadcasting Station (Lhasa), Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, US Department of State, US Government Printing Office, Voice of America, and Xinghua, and distributed by World Tibet Network News. Special thanks to John Hocevar of SFT and to Hansa Natola of the Australia Tibet Council-Perth.

The photograph of Ngawang Choephel is reprinted by permission of Kathryn Culley.