Petition for Ngawang Choephel

Dear Jiang Zemin,

We, the undersigned, are writing to express our outrage over the Chinese government's horrifying 18 year sentence for fellow musician Ngawang Choephel and demand his immediate release.

An exiled Tibetan musician, Ngawang Choephel dreamed of returning to his homeland to record for posterity his country's cultural heritage. In the summer of 1995, he bravely travelled to Tibet from his home in India to pursue that goal. Whilst filming and recording traditional music and dance, he was arrested, detained without trial for over a year, and in 1996 sentenced to 18 years' imprisonment. He was accused by the Chinese government of "spying".

Ngawang Choephel's sentence is a violation of the right of every person to their culture and to their freedom of expression. He had committed no crime.

We, members of the international community of musicians, bear witness to the injustice that has been done to Ngawang Choephel. This flagrant persecution of an innocent Tibetan cannot be ignored.

Therefore, we urge you to secure Ngawang Choephel's unconditional and immediate release from prison.

Sincerely,

U.K.
Michael Kamen
Annie Lennox
Sir Paul McCartney
David Bowie
Bush
Cast
Bryan Ferry
Robbie Williams
Supergrass
Joe Strummer
Brian Kennedy
Horace Andy
George Harrison
Andy Kershaw (DJ)
Yungchen Lhamo
Mixmaster Morris (DJ)
Danny Rampling (DJ)
Andy Wilson (DJ)
Reeves Gabrels (drummer for David Bowie)
INXS
Sting
Peter Gabriel
Banco de Gaia
Radiohead
plus
James Hallawell, Roy Harrer, Paul Greco, Dunstan Bruce, Anthony Phillips, John Wetton, D. Telford, Romana Gloria, Pam Hogg, Steve Bartes, Chris Dekker, AquaTreg, John Robeneen, Jack Loreband, G. Watson, G. Soppes, Milena Kavrakova, Fiona Mason, Jo Maki, Big Fish, Juliet Chaplin, Martin Smith, Hawkwind, Fulorton Spicer, Tommy Gyn, Mickey Gee, Paul Norior, and many others...

AUSTRALIA
Tina Arena
Midnight Oil
Kev Carmody, Tiddas, D.I.G., Tim Finn, Marcia Hines, Wendy Matthews, Reg Mombassa, Jenny Morris, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, The Rockmelons, Weddings Parties Anything, Yothu Yindi, Hugh Benjamin (drummer for John Paul Young), Alexis Croen, David Lackey, Larry Carn, J.D. Espie, Lachlan Goold, D.Claymore, Oscar Gaora, Micheal Macken, Jasmine Steven, Joe Accaria, Mark Jowett, Neil Osborne, Allen Moy, Brad Merntt, Colin Hay, Jason Grant, Diesal

AUSTRIA
Andy Baum, G. Danzer, Georg Dum, Niko Afentulidis, Werner Eichhorn, D. Schrodl, Linder Jorg, R. Gisch, Stephanie Werger, Franz Zettl, Bernd Adlberger, Pina Kollars, Thomas Moba, Jorg Linder, Manfred Philippich, Dino Katjnelaris, Peter Pansky, Heidi List, Johann Wohlesser, Mathias Edlinger, Karl Riegler, Gotthard Seidi, Gerad Wallner, Waltraud Reibling, Angela Seidl, Angelika Schaffer, Brigitte Dyba, Cladia Hinterhofer, Ines Horn, Johann Pichler, Thomas Woilesser, Wolfgang Kock, Werner Kainz, Elisabeth Edlinger, Erwin Polanc, Christoph Riegler, Rudolf Wohlesser, Franz Ehgartner, Isolde Straner, Andrea Perpold, Ulrike Prieler, Johannes Ehgarnter, Gernot Gruber, Willi Prieler, Michael Seisser, Johannes Hipfel, Brigitte Dyba, Christa Obermayer, Iris Hipfl, Kathrin Seidl, Christian Wohlesser, Astrid Haslacher, Susanne Kreinbucher, Doris Reichel, Marina Wohlesser, Birgit Wurnitsch, Christina Schindlbacher, Julia Wohlitsch, Martin Zechner, Marion Lercher, Petra Wohlesser, Silke Lauchard, Ingrid Friedler, Helga Feichtinger, Rainer Walner, Gerhard Zechner, Elisabeth Feichtinger, Daniel Wallner, Christian Obermeyer, Peter Ehgartner, Andreas Reiblinger, Mark Stoller

CANADA
10 musicians members of the Department of Music at the University of Quebec at Montreal, Paul Klopstock, M. Faubert, Daniel Vermette, Lusse Cloulier, Paul Richer

FRANCE
Renaud Hanson

HOLLAND
Ronald Engles (DJ), Michel Van Veen (DJ)

ITALY
Francesca Chert Mello

KENYA
Jenny Chadwich

SOUTH AFRICA
Robert Nel (Free Lance), Live Jimi Presley, Citrus

U.S.A.
Phillip Glass
James Coats (pianist), Margaret Vrana (pianist), Sean Barrett (guitarist), John Madison (Opera Singer), Amy Hertz (flute), Dimitri Ehrlich (guitarist), Leah Santoro (vocalist), Gloria Boyasiam (choir), James Barnes (keyboard player), Doug Houghton (guitar), Mike De Camillo (bass guitar), An Mens (guitar), Marc Isreal (singer), Roger Hodgeson, Andrew Hodgeson, Rich Stanmyre, Jeff Daniels, Mikail Graham,
Members of the Music Department faculty at Grand Valley State University at Allendale (14), Michigan, and the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra in Grand Rapids, Michigan (81).