Melody in Prison: Ngawang Choephel
	UPDATE 10 March 1997

Ngawang Choephel may have been only one among the tens of thousands of Tibetan religious and political prisoners, dead and living, on the minds of those around the world commemorating this day, but he was foremost on the tongues of those who spoke of it in the Senate. Cognizant of the date's significance, Senators Jeffords and Leahy attempted to win passage of Senate Resolution 19, but failed to rally a quorum. Transcripts in the Congressional Record include the first public announcement of a letter written on 11 February 1997 to Vice President Albert Gore by members of last November's Daschle delegation to China, urging him to "stress the administration's view that Mr. Choephel should be released, and to ask President Jiang to personally look into this case" when he visits the PRC later this month.

Senator Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) provided the following statement:

Commemorating the Massacre of Tibetan Civilians
by the Chinese Military on March 10, 1959

Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate March 10, 1959, a dark day in history for all of us. It was on this day that Chinese troops viciously attacked and murdered 87,000 Tibetan civilians who sought to protect their beloved Dalai Lama, a man whose love of peace is known to all of us. The pattern of intimidation and human rights abuses by the Chinese Government against the people of Tibet, unfortunately, continues today. It is quite frankly unsuitable for a country like China which seeks status as a responsible member of the community of nations.

The Chinese pattern of intimidation is especially seen in the case of Ngawang Choephel, a former Fulbright scholar at Middlebury College and friend of the United States. Last December, Chinese officials sentenced Mr. Choephel to an 18-year prison term for supposed espionage activities. This is an outrage.

In January I joined with other Members of the Senate in writing a letter to the new Secretary of State Madeleine Albright expressing our concerns about Mr. Choephel's sentence. We requested that she raise Mr. Choephel's case in discussions with Chinese leaders on her trip to China.

I also cosponsored a resolution which calls on the Chinese Government to release Mr. Choephel immediately and unconditionally. I am pleased to be a part of a bipartisan effort on this important issue.

Relations with other powerful countries are by their nature complex, but we owe it to the people of Tibet and we owe it to ourselves as Americans, to stress the importance of human rights as a cornerstone of all relations. All people have a right to religious freedom. The people of Tibet certainly have that right, and they have a right to live in peace. The people of Tibet also have a right to live their lives in a dignified manner free of oppression. It is the sacred duty of all of us to make sure that happens.

I applaud the efforts of those who are gathering today in New York for Tibet National Uprising Day to show the world that vigilance does not sleep and to express solidarity with the people of Tibet. As long as people such as those who are coming together today in New York take a personal interest in the suffering of others, I have to believe that we will reach our goals of democracy and religious freedom for the suffering people of Tibet.