By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, July 17: Gonpo Kyi, the sister of a prominent businessman and philanthropist Dorjee Tashi who has been unjustly incarcerated since the 2008 pan-Tibetan uprising, made a heartfelt plea through a video message on July 5, pleading for visitation rights and shedding light on the mistreatment she has faced during her attempts to see her brother.
Dorjee Tashi, popularly known as Yak Tashi, a leading Tibetan businessman with an estimated property of millions was arrested by Chinese authorities in the wake of 2008 uprising in Lhasa, which soon spread to other parts of the occupied Tibet. The young businessman is still in prison since his arrest in March 2008.
In the widely circulated video message on July 5, Kyi is seen expressing her distress over the lack of visitation rights to see her brother, stating, “It is 2023 and I have been prohibited to see my brother since 2021. Despite being informed that I would be allowed to visit my brother in July, the visit was abruptly cancelled, leaving me uncertain about future opportunities to see him.”
Kyi, who has taken a proactive step in advocating for her brother’s release further questioned the principle of justice and equality under the law in her video message. “Every citizen should be regarded as equal despite their nationality. However, the mistreatment I have faced indicates a lack of fairness and impartiality.” Kyi further recounts incidents where multiple policemen would be dispatched to handle one person, using excessive force and levying numerous charges against her adding, “The authority would recite several charges against me. I told them that I would voluntarily accept the charges they press upon me if my request does not comply with Chinese law and constitution.”
In a subsequent video clip dated July 13, Kyi shared details of the mistreatment she experienced when visiting the police station and mentioned, “I was unable to document the incidents as my phone has been confiscated.”
Following Dorjee Tashi’s initial sentence, his family members filed their first appeal in 2013 which did not receive any response for six years. In November 2019, the appeal was finally rejected after a prolonged period of waiting for a response. In December 2019, a month after the appeal rejection, another appeal was made which eventually granted their family’s lawyer, Wang Fei, the opportunity to meet Dorjee in Lhasa prison in January 2021. The last virtual meeting took place in December 2021 but no physical visit has been permitted since 2021, further restricting the contact between Dorjee Tashi and his family.
Both the United States and the European Union have raised concerns about the arbitrary detention of Dorjee Tashi. During the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council from September to October 2022, the European Union issued a statement calling for his immediate release. The United States recognised detention of Dorjee Tashi in its 2022 and 2021 State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, highlighting the global attention on the case.
The duo were awarded the annual ‘Tenzin Delek Rinpoche Medal of Courage’ award last week on July 12 in Dharamshala, honoring them as Tibetan human rights defenders who have shown exceptional commitment to enhancing the rights of the Tibetan people.
