english
nederlands
Indymedia NL
Independent Media Centre of the Netherlands
Indymedia NL is an independent free communication organisation. Indymedia offers an alternative approach to the news by using an open publishing method for text, images, video and audio.
> contact > search > archive > help > join > publish news > open newswire > disclaimer > chat
Search

 
All Words
Any Word
Contains Media:
Only images
Only video
Only audio

Dossiers
Agenda
CHAT!
LINKS

European NewsReal

MDI's complaint against Indymedia.nl
Courtcase Deutsche Bahn vs. Indymedia.nl
Topics
anti-fascisme / racisme
europa
feminisme
gentechnologie
globalisering
kunst, cultuur en muziek
media
militarisme
natuur, dier en mens
oranje
vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten
wereldcrisis
wonen/kraken
zonder rubriek
Events
G8
Oaxaca
Schinveld
Schoonmakers-Campagne
Help
Tips for newbies
A short intro into Indymedia NL
The policy of Indymedia NL
How to join?
Donate
Support Indymedia NL with donations!
Lawsuits cost a lot of money, we appreciate every (euro)cent you can spare!

You can also direct your donation to Dutch bank account 94.32.153 on behalf of Stichting Vrienden van Indymedia, Amsterdam (IBAN: NL41 PSTB 0009 4321 53)
Indymedia Network

www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa
ambazonia
canarias
estrecho / madiaq
kenya
nigeria
south africa

Canada
hamilton
london, ontario
maritimes
montreal
ontario
ottawa
quebec
thunder bay
vancouver
victoria
windsor
winnipeg

East Asia
burma
jakarta
japan
manila
qc

Europe
alacant
andorra
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
bristol
bulgaria
croatia
cyprus
estrecho / madiaq
euskal herria
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
lille
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
netherlands
nice
norway
oost-vlaanderen
paris/île-de-france
poland
portugal
romania
russia
scotland
sverige
switzerland
thessaloniki
toulouse
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia
west vlaanderen

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
brasil
chiapas
chile
chile sur
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso

Oceania
adelaide
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
oceania
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india
mumbai

United States
arizona
arkansas
atlanta
austin
baltimore
big muddy
binghamton
boston
buffalo
charlottesville
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
danbury, ct
dc
hampton roads, va
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
idaho
ithaca
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
omaha
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
seattle
tallahassee-red hills
tampa bay
tennessee
united states
urbana-champaign
utah
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
armenia
beirut
israel
palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
discussion
fbi/legal updates
indymedia faq
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech
volunteer
Credits
This site is produced by volunteers using free software where possible.

The system we use is available from:mir.indymedia.de
an alternative is available from: active.org.au/doc

Thanks to indymedia.de and mir-coders for creating and sharing mir!

Contact:
info @ indymedia.nl
Ngawang Choepel is VRIJ!!!
FREE TIBET! - 21.01.2002 04:13

Ngawang Choephel, Released on Medical Parole (ICT)


Ngawang Choephel Released on Medical Parole (ICT)

For Immediate Release Sunday, January 20

CONTACT: Evan Field, 202-785-1515 John Ackerly, 202-302-5537

Ngawang Choephel Released on Medical Parole

Detroit - Ngawang Choephel, a Tibetan ethnomusicologist arrested in Shigatse, Tibet, in September 1995 was issued medical parole by Chinese authorities after serving more than 6 years of an 18-year sentence on
charges of espionage while filming traditional arts in Tibet. He arrived
in Detroit at 10:48 am today.

The 36-year-old Tibetan exile attended Middlebury College in Vermont as a
Fulbright scholar in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, Mr. Choephel returned to Tibet to film a documentary on traditional performing arts where he was imprisoned by the Chinese government for engaging "in separatist activities."

Tibetan advocacy groups, human rights organizations, parliamentarians and
several governments have vigorously pressed for Mr. Choephel´s release. In response to repeated inquiries about his well being from the Vermont delegation of the U.S. Congress, the Chinese Embassy reported in October
1999 that Mr. Choephel had been suffering serious medical ailments.

"The campaign for Ngawang Choephel´s medical parole has ended successfully today in a clear vindication of the world-wide efforts of so many to help secure his release," said John Ackerly, President of the International
Campaign for Tibet.

Mr. Choephel is the first high-profile Tibetan prisoner to be issued early
release, although a number of Chinese political prisoners have been released
or granted medical parole, usually prior to a major diplomatic event. Mr. Choephel´s release comes fewer than five weeks before President Bush´s State visit to Beijing, scheduled for February 21 and 22, and as the
international community is examining China´s human rights record in advance of the
annual UN Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva beginning on March 20.

Mr. Choephel walked off of Northwest flight number 88 from Beijing with an American diplomat. He was met by an official of the State Department and released into the care of representatives of the International Campaign for Tibet, which will look after his immediate needs including his health
requirements. The Department of State had made arrangements for the arrival
of Mr. Choephel through the Office of the Special Envoy of His Holiness the
Dalai Lama. Mr. Choephel is traveling on a U.S. tourist visa and has been officially released to India via the United States.

"The International Campaign for Tibet welcomes the release of Ngawang
Choephel and we are happy for his mother, Sonam Dekyi, who has hoped and
worked tirelessly for his release," said Ackerly.

"But we also want to reiterate that while Ngawang Choephel was a political prisoner, he was not a political figure. There are still hundreds of Tibetan political prisoners including Chadrel Rinpoche, Ngawang Sangdrol, Tanak Jigme Sangpo and the Panchen Lama - one of the world´s youngest
political prisoners - imprisoned by China for their beliefs or often non-violently
standing up for basic freedoms and rights for Tibetans," said Ackerly.

"We are encouraged by this appropriate resolution of Ngawang Choephel´s case, but we will continue to call on the government of the People´s Republic of China to take systematic and structural steps to improve
human rights in Tibet," said Ackerly.

 

Read more about: vrijheid, repressie & mensenrechten

supplements
> indymedia.nl > search > archive > help > join > publish news > open newswire > disclaimer > chat
DISCLAIMER: Indymedia NL uses the 'open posting' principle to promote freedom of speech. The news (text, images, audio and video) posted in the open newswire of Indymedia NL remains the property of the author who posted it. The views in these postings do not necesseraly reflect the views of the editorial team of Indymedia NL. Furthermore, it is not always possible to guarantee the accuracy of the postings.