On April 8th, China sentenced two Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak, to death for their alleged involvement in last year's protests in Lhasa. Two others, Phuntsok and Kangtsuk, were also sentenced to death but with a two year reprieve, and Dawa Sangpo was sentenced to life imprisonment.

March and April 2008 saw the largest protests in Tibet for 50 years. A wave of protests began in Lhasa on 10 March 2008 and, since that time, more than 150 separate protests have taken place across the Tibetan Plateau, the overwhelming majority of which were non-violent in nature.

These harsh sentences signal an alarming escalation in the Chinese government's campaign to punish and intimidate Tibetans who dare to speak out against Chinese rule.

Please help us stop the executions! CLICK HERE to send a letter to the Chinese government calling for an immediate stay of execution.

What's At Stake?

According to a report issued today by Xinhua, the official Chinese news agency, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak were charged with "starting fatal fires" in Lhasa. Tenzin Phuntsok, Kangtsuk, and Dawa Sangpo were also charged with arson. The Xinhua report does not give any details of the evidence presented against these five individuals.

Read the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights & Democracy's condemnation of the sentences.

In addition to sending a letter, please call the Chinese authorities to demand a halt to these executions and an independent inquiry into the cases. Please note that China and Tibet are 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

You can also print and fax or mail your letter to the address below.

BEIJING:

Ministry of Justice
Minister: Wu Aiying
No.10 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100020, China
Tel: +86 10 8313 9065
Tel: +86 10 6520 6706
Fax: +86 10 8313 9051
Fax: +86 10 6529 2345

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Minister: Yang Jiechi
No. 2 Chaoyangmen Nandajie, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100701, China
Tel: +86 10 6596 1114
Tel: +86 10 6596 3100

Supreme People's Procuratorate
Tel: +86 10 6525 2000
Tel: +86 10 6559 2000

LHASA:

Secretary of the Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
Tel: +86 89 1632 5889

TAR People's Government
Tel: +86 89 1633 2067

TAR People's Congress
Tel: +86 89 1683 2423