China: Stop the Executions!

What's At Stake?

According to a report issued today by Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak were charged with "starting fatal fires" in Lhasa. Tenzin Phuntsok, Kangtsuk, and Dawa Sangpo were also charged with arson. The Xinhua report does not give any details of the evidence presented against these five individuals.

Read the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights & Democracy's condemnation of the sentences.

In addition to sending a letter, please call the Chinese authorities to demand a halt to these executions and an independent inquiry into the cases. Please note that China and Tibet are 9 hours ahead of British Summer Time.

You can also print and fax or mail your letter to the address below.

BEIJING:

Ministry of Justice
Minister: Wu Aiying
No.10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100020, China
Tel: +86 10 8313 9065
Tel: +86 10 6520 6706
Fax: +86 10 8313 9051
Fax: +86 10 6529 2345

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister: Yang Jiechi
No. 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100701, China
Tel: +86 10 6596 1114
Tel: +86 10 6596 3100

Supreme People's Procuratorate
Tel: +86 10 6525 2000
Tel: +86 10 6559 2000

LHASA:

Secretary of the Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
Tel: +86 89 1632 5889

TAR People's Government
Tel: +86 89 1633 2067

TAR People's Congress
Tel: +86 89 1683 2423

GET LOCAL MP's INVOLVED!

It is also important to urge our local MP's to apply pressure to the British government to openly condem these sentences and put a stop to the executions. Find out who your MP is here: http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/

SAMPLE LETTER:

Dear [MP Name]

I am appealing for your help to save the lives of two Tibetans sentenced to death
by the Chinese government.

On April 8th, 25-year old Loyak and another man, Lobsang Gyaltsen, were sentenced
to death for allegedly "setting fatal fires" during last year's protests in
Tibet's capital, Lhasa.

Two others, Tenzin Phuntsok and Kangtsuk, have also been sentenced to death, but
with a two-year reprieve, and Dawa Sangpo has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Without a reprieve, Loyak and Lobsang Gyaltsen could be executed within a matter
of weeks.

These death sentences clearly signal an escalation in the Chinese government's
violent campaign to punish and intimidate any Tibetan who dares to speak out
against Chinese rule.

A report released by Human Rights Watch in March 2009 concludes that the process
of trials and imprisonment in Tibet over the past year has been politically
motivated and that the "principle of independence of the judiciary is thoroughly
undermined by leadership's demand that court and police tailor their actions to
political requirements."

I ask that you publicly condemn China's actions and call for an independent
inquiry into the cases of these five individuals.

I also urge you to call on the British government to issue a strong diplomatic
response, including immediate action on the part of the British Embassy
in Beijing to:

*raise these sentences with the Chinese authorities and express grave concern that
international judicial standards have not been upheld in the trial process;

 *press for Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak to have immediate access to their family and
to the legal representation of their choice;

 *request that an Embassy representative be allowed to observe any further judicial
proceedings;

 *convey that these cases and China's ongoing crackdown in Tibet is an issue of
concern for British government

Thank you for supporting the Tibetan people at this dark time.

 [Your Name]
 [Your Address]

Contact the Supreme People's Court of China


On the website for China's Supreme People's Court (SPC) there is a feedback form for members of the public to fill in. The Supreme People's Court has the final say before a death sentence is carried out in China. Once the Court approves a death sentence the execution is usually carried out immediately. However, the Court has the power to reject a death sentence, which results in a retrial.

Step-by-step

• Copy the mandarin text (if you don't have the appropriate language pack installed in your Operating System you should see small square symbols with letters and numbers in) below these instructions (not the English translation).
  

• In your browser, go to: http://www.court.gov.cn/feedback/

• Fill in the boxes of the feedback form which looks like the table below. We've added the English translations for category names in the example below.
  

• Paste the copied mandarin text into the comment box (do not include the English translation as this will take you over the 500 word limit)

• Please be aware that any information provided will be logged by the Chinese Government, so only provide details that you are comfortable with. If necessary use aliases, though using a real email address would be helpful in the (unlikely) event that the SPC sends a reply. To send your message click on the left button (of the two buttons at the bottom of the form).