Enforced disappearance of five monks from Ramoche Temple

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the People’s Republic of China.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a member of OMCT SOS-Torture network, about the enforced disappearance of five monks from Ramoche Temple, namely 39-year-old Mr. Sonam Rabgyal, native of Markham County, Chamdo Prefecture, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (TAR), and former Chanzoe (manager and treasurer), Damdul, Rabgyal, and two other monks (whose names are currently unknown), since their arrest during a midnight raid in the monks’ residence on 7 April 2008.

According to the information received, on 7 April 2008, around 70 monks of Ramoche Temple, which is located to the north of Lhasa city, were detained after the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and People's Armed Police (PAP) forces carried out a midnight raid in the monks’ residences. Whilst most of them were released few days later after having been interrogated, the whereabouts of Mr. Sonam Rabgyal, Damdul, Rabgyal and two other monks remain unclear.

According to the same information, before the major protests that broke out in and around Lhasa city on 10 March Tibetan Uprising anniversary, Mr. Sonam Rabgyal, Damdul, Rabgyal and the two other monks had initiated long life prayer offerings to the Dalai Lama, recited prayer offering and had urged for a quick resolution to the Tibet issue during the annual Great Prayer Festival called Monlam Chenmo on the eight’s day of the Tibetan New Year (which corresponded to 14 February this year), following which they reportedly came under scrutiny and were interrogated at length by a work team of the “Patriotic re-education” [1] campaign, who were stationed inside the monastery.

The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the safety of Mr. Sonam Rabgyal, Damdul, Rabgyal and the two other monks as their whereabouts remain unknown, giving rise to fears that they may be subjected to ill-treatment, torture or potentially extra-judicial execution. OMCT calls on the authorities to immediately locate their whereabouts and guarantee their personal integrity at all times. OMCT recalls that China is a State party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which prohibits torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. OMCT urges the authorities to conform with China’s international human rights obligations, commitments that were reaffirmed on the occasion of its election as a member of the new United Nations Human Rights Council.

Actions Requested

Please write to the authorities in the People’s Republic of China urging them to:

1. Immediately locate the whereabouts of Mr. Sonam Rabgyal, Damdul, Rabgyal and the two other monks, as well as guarantee, in all circumstances, their physical and psychological integrity;
2. Guarantee immediate and unconditional access to legal representation, their families and any medical treatment they may require;
3. Order their immediate release in the absence of valid legal charges that are consistent with international law and standards, or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial, independent, competent and fair tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
4. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
5. Guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

Addresses

• Mr. Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Guojia Zongli, The State Council General Office, 2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu, Beijingshi 100017, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Mr. Wu Aiying, Minister of Justice of the People’s Republic of China, Buzhang Sifabu, 10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyangqu, Beijingshi 100020, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 6529 2345, minister@legalinfo.gov.cn / pfmaster@legalinfo.gov.cn
• Mr. Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, Buzhang Waijiaobu, 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Beijingshi 100701, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 6588 2594, Email: ipc@fmprc.gov.cn;
• Mr. Meng Jianzhu, Minister of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China, Buzhang, Gong’anbu, 14 Dongchang’anjie, Dongchengqu, Beijingshi 100741, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 63099216
• Mr. Ma Zhenchuan, Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau, Juzhang, Beijingshi Gong’anju, 9 Qianmen Dongdajie, Dongchengqu, Beijingshi 100740, People’s Republic of China, Fax: +86 10 85222320, Email: wbjc2sohu.com
• Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of China, Ch. De Surville, CP 85, 1213 Petit-Lancy 2, Suisse, e-mail: mission.china@ties.itu.int, Fax : +41 22 793 70 14
• Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Brussels, Avenue de Tervuren, 463 1160 Auderghem, Belgium, Tel: + 32 2 663 30 10 / + 32 2 663 30 17 / +32 2 771 14 97 / +32 2 779 43 33; Fax: +32 2 762 99 66 / +32 2 779 28 95; Email: chinaemb_be@mfa.gov.cn

Please also write to the embassies of the People’s Republic of China in your respective country.

Geneva, 01 October 2008

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

[1] According to the information received, the Chinese authorities had re-launched and reinvigorated the "Patriotic re-education" campaign in the "Tibet Autonomous Region" ("TAR") and other Tibetan areas in neighbouring provinces for a stipulated two-month period covering almost every sections of society beginning primarily with the monastic institutions, party cadres, security forces and government employees, farmers and private entrepreneurs, educational institutions and common people, to denounce the Dalai Lama and the "Splittist forces".