Melody in Prison: Ngawang Choephel
	UPDATE 11 March 1997

By unanimous consent (whereby no votes were counted), the Senate has approved S. Res. 19, "expressing the sense of the Senate regarding United States opposition to the prison sentence of Tibetan ethnomusicologist Ngawang Choephel by the Government of the People's Republic of China."

Speaking on the floor prior to the measure's passage, Senator Helms expressed his desire that "through Radio Free Asia or other means, [Ngawang] will learn that the United States is sincerely concerned about him and will continue to work for his freedom - as we will for all prisoners of conscience in China and Tibet."

A full transcript of the very moving statements by Senators Helms, Moynihan and Feingold on behalf of the resolution was published in the Congressional Record.