Free Tibet / Discussions

I am outraged to learn that the Chinese government has executed three Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen, Loyak, and Penkyi for their alleged involvement in the March 2008 protests. The executions took place in Lhasa, Tibet's capital, on October 20th, 2009. There are reports from Tibet that a fourth execution may have taken place.

These executions of Tibetans, the first known since 2003, signal an alarming escalation in the Chinese government's violent campaign to punish, intimidate, and silence any Tibetan who dares to speak out against China's occupation.

Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak were originally sentenced to death on April 8, 2009, prompting an international campaign to stop China from carrying out their executions. The identity of the other two Tibetans is unclear, but some believe that Penkyi could be a Tibetan woman in her early twenties who was given a suspended death sentence in April 2009.

These individuals were denied their basic legal rights, and their trials were not conducted in accordance with international judicial standards. A report released by Human Rights Watch in March 2009 revealed that China's judicial system is "so highly politicised as to preclude any possibility for a fair trial for Tibetans."