Take Action in Support of Tibetans at Kirti Monastery

Phuntsog, a 20-year-old monk at Kirti monastery, died after setting himself on fire in March.

Please join ICT to send as many messages as possible to Jon Huntsman, the U.S. Ambassador to China

Your help is urgently needed in response to the escalating human rights situation at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

Tensions have intensified in the area since a 20-year old monk, Phuntsog, set fire to himself and later died on the third anniversary of a major protest in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) on March 16. According to the latest information from the area, the monastery remains under government lockdown and is currently surrounded by armed troops.

The U.S. State Department expressed its concern in an April 14 statement about the "onerous restrictions on the monks and the general public." For more information on the developing situation, visit ICT's News & Reports home page.

Please add your voice now by sending a message to U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman urging him to take immediate action to press China to de-escalate the situation at Kirti. Thank you!

Subject:

Your Letter:

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

I write to request your urgent response to the escalating human rights situation at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

The situation at this monastery has been tense since the March 16, 2011, self-immolation by a Tibetan monk named Phuntsog.  According to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), Chinese authorities have imposed a lockdown on the monastery, with a new barbed-wire fence and wall being built around the back of the monastic complex, and armed troops within the compound preventing monks from leaving and food from being delivered. Several Tibetans from the monastery and lay community in the area have disappeared, including the younger brother and the uncle of the monk who set fire to himself.  A rigorous "patriotic education" campaign is being enforced, including the removal of certain monks, creating further resentment and despair.

Local Tibetans have responded to protect the monks, acting to prevent security forces from approach the inner part of the monastery compound. Armed police and soldiers responded by beating the crowd and setting trained dogs on them, and there were serious injuries.

There is reason to fear for the lives of those who are facing this crackdown.  In light of this dangerous situation, we specifically ask that you:

* urgently demarche the Chinese Foreign Ministry with the expectation that local authorities in Ngaba will end the lockdown, threats of relocation of monks from the monastery to unknown points for "re-education," and pull back the armed police that are escalating tensions, battling with the crowds, and reportedly causing serious injuries;

* make arrangements for U.S. personnel posted at the Consulate in Chengdu to urgently travel to Ngaba to ascertain as best they can what is the situation at Kirti Monastery and its environs; and

* work with Assistant Secretary Michael Posner to raise the situation at Kirti Monastery as a matter of priority in the upcoming bilateral human rights dialogue, requesting an urgent response by the Chinese government in the form of de-escalation and an examination of underlying grievances.

Thank you for your immediate consideration.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Jon Huntsman

U.S. Ambassador to the People's Republic of China

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