Melody in Prison: Ngawang Choephel
	UPDATE 10 December 1996

The Tibetan Government in Exile, headquartered in Dharamsala, India, yesterday confirmed reports received by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) that Ngawang Choephel is being held in solitary confinement in Sangyip Prison. This is the first confirmed report of Choephel's exact whereabouts, though last September he was rumored to have been moved from Shigatse to Lhasa.

ICT describes Sangyip as a grouping of prison facilities located three kilometers north of Lhasa which are technically labelled "laogai" (labor camps) by China. One of the original prison facilities in Lhasa, it was built at the base of a mountain and for decades has maintained an active quarry for construction materials.

ICT notes that Choephel is likely to be held in Seitru, a part of Sangyip used for state security prisoners. It was there that Gendun Rinchen, a Tibetan tour guide, was held in solitary confinement for eight months in 1993-94 before being released in response to international pressure.

Repeated requests for information about Choephel's whereabouts, health and status have been made by a number of goverments and members of national parliamentary bodies, including the US Congress, to no effect. There is still no indication that Choephel has been formally charged or tried.