Benjamin Haas: Tibetan activist put on trial in China for inciting separatism
A Tibetan language
activist who appeared in a New York Times video has been put on trial for
separatism in proceedings dismissed as a “sham” by rights groups, a sign of
increasingly hardline attitudes towards government critics. Tashi Wangchuk pleaded
not guilty to the charges of “inciting separatism” during the four-hour trial
in the western Chinese city of Yushu, where the state’s main piece of evidence
against him was the nine-minute video, according to his lawyer, Liang Xiaojun.
The activist was
detained two years ago after appearing in the video where he criticised
policies towards Tibetan language education, attempted to sue the local
government and tried to entice China’s state broadcaster, CCTV, to report on
his concerns. He faces up to 15
years in prison if convicted, and the judge said he would deliver a verdict at
a later date. China’s Communist party-controlled courts have a conviction rate
of more than 99%.
Tashi had advocated
for greater use of Tibetan in education, bemoaning the use of Mandarin for most
instruction in classrooms where the majority of students are Tibetan. Many
Tibetans view language policies as an attempt by the government to destroy
their culture. In the New York Times
video, he travels to Beijing and tries to file a lawsuit against officials in
Yushu, but is ultimately turned away. “I want to try to use the People’s Republic
of China’s laws to solve the problem,” he said in the video.
Rights groups
described the case against him as “ludicrously unjust”.
Roseann Rife, East
Asia research director at Amnesty International, said: “It is appalling that
Tashi Wangchuk could face up to 15 years’ imprisonment simply for expressing
his views in media interviews.” Exposing and criticising the suppression by
government of Tibetan language and culture was a legitimate exercise of free
speech, she added. “Labelling it as a form of ‘inciting separatism’
demonstrates how the Chinese authorities blatantly misuse this criminal charge
to silence dissent.”
The Chinese government
has instituted harsh policies in its far western regions, home to millions of
ethnic minority citizens, in an effort to quell dissent by force. Even peaceful
calls for greater autonomy from Beijing – technically guaranteed under Chinese
law – are often met with punishment.
Sophie
Richardson, China director
at Human Rights Watch, said: “All Tashi Wangchuk has done is peacefully
advocate for constitutionally-guaranteed rights. If Chinese authorities
consider that inciting separatism, it’s hard to tell what isn’t.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/04/tibetan-activist-trial-china-inciting-separatism-tashi-wangchuksee also
