Melody in Prison: Ngawang Choephel
	UPDATE 5 November 1999

N E W S
From The Vermont Congressional Delegation

Fri., Nov. 5, 1999

CONTACT:
David Carle (Leahy), 202-224-3693
Erik Smulson (Jeffords), 202-224-5141
David Sirota (Sanders), 202-225-4115

Chinese Government Provides First Substantive - But Sketchy -
Information On Ngawang Choephel To Vermont Delegation

In response to numerous inquiries they have made to Chinese authorities about Ngawang Choephel spanning three years, on October 20th the members of Vermont's congressional delegation received separate but identical letters from Chinese Ambassador Li Zhaoxing about his case.

This is the first time the Chinese Government has provided any information about Ngawang Choephel's whereabouts and the conditions under which he is being detained since he was first arrested more than four years ago. The letter states that Ngawang is suffering from “bronchitis, pulmonary infection and hepatitis.” Earlier replies to the Vermont congressional delegation members simply repeated the charges against him. It is also the first time the Chinese Government has acknowledged Ngawang Choephel's mother's request to visit him in Tibet. His mother, Sonam Dekyi, has been seeking permission to visit her son since 1996. The Vermont delegation has forwarded the letter to State Department officials working on the case.

A copy of the text of Li's letters accompanies this, along with a reply that Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Jim Jeffords and Congressman Bernie Sanders have sent to the Chinese ambassador, asking several additional questions raised by his letters to the Vermont delegation. [Editor's note: We have not received a copy of Li's letter or the Vermont Delegation's reply.]

Commenting on the letter from Ambassador Li, Leahy said: “I am glad to have this information, but I cannot understand why it has taken the Chinese Goverment so long to respond to the inquiries of so many Vermonters and people around the world who are concerned about Ngawang Choephel. Notably absent from the letter is any mention of even a shred of evidence that Mr. Choephel engaged in any of the illegal activities he is accused of. The Chinese Government also continues to ignore his mother's request to visit her son. Her request should be granted immediately. I will continue to do whatever I can to help her, and to seek the release of Mr. Choephel.”

Jeffords said: “I am pleased that the Chinese Embassy has decided to engage with us on the case of Ngawang Choephel and his mother Sonam Dekyi. This is a very good sign. I am hoping for renewed energy on this case from the U.S. Government as well. On Tuesday I met with the U.S. ambassadorial nominee to China, Admiral James Prueher. I made it very clear to Admiral Prueher that I expect him to engage in Beijing with the Chinese on this case. And he committed to doing so.”

Sanders said: “The letter from Ambassador Li is clearly unsatisfactory. I have serious doubts about whether Ngawang Choephel is in a sunny, airy, and well-heated cell reading books and watching television ‘while enjoying humanitarian treatments under China's prison system.’ It remains an international outrage that an innocent man is serving a very long term on a trumped-up charge. I intend to do all that I can to continue putting pressure on the Chinese Government for his release at the earliest possible date.”