{"id":12525,"date":"2020-10-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-18T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savetibet.nl\/nieuws\/longtime-tibetan-political-prisoner-takna-jigme-sangpo-dies\/"},"modified":"2020-10-19T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-10-18T22:00:00","slug":"longtime-tibetan-political-prisoner-takna-jigme-sangpo-dies","status":"publish","type":"nieuws","link":"https:\/\/savetibet.nl\/en\/news\/longtime-tibetan-political-prisoner-takna-jigme-sangpo-dies\/","title":{"rendered":"Longtime Tibetan political prisoner Takna Jigme Sangpo dies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Takna Jigme Sangpo, who had been Tibet\u2019s longest serving political prisoner, passed away in Switzerland on October 17, 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2002, the Chinese government <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/united-states-welcomes-takna-jigmes-release\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">released Sangpo on medical parole<\/a> as a result of international pressure while he was serving his most recent sentence of 28 years on charges of \u201ccounterrevolutionary propaganda and incitement.\u201d Sangpo left prison nine years before the end of his sentence. Prior to that, he had received prison sentences in 1964 and 1970.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Swiss government and the United States had taken an active interest in Sangpo\u2019s case. In addition to the US State Department, the late Congressman Tom Lantos was among those who took the lead on Sangpo\u2019s behalf. Subsequently, Sangpo was permitted to travel to the United States for medical treatment and arrived in Washington, DC on July 13, 2002. The International Campaign for Tibet coordinated his stay and initial medical examination and treatment here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/savetibet.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/Swirling-Red-Dust-890x467.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10538\"\/><figcaption><em>Takna Jigme Sangpo posing with a copy of his memoir, Swirling Red Dust\u201d that ICT supported.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Beginning a life of freedom<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On July 29, 2002, Sangpo issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/takna-jigme-sangpos-statement-on-his-situation\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">public statement<\/a> in which he credited his release to the many years of campaigning and pressure by Tibet supporters, governments, individuals and public organizations in the international community, within and outside Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAbove all, it is the fruit of international support for the fulfillment of the aspirations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/takna-jigme-sangpos-statement-on-his-situation\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">he said<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost importantly, as I begin to enjoy a life of freedom and happiness, I am concerned at the fate of my former fellow prisoners who continue to suffer and languish in dark prisons. Therefore, I take this opportunity to urge strongly for the immediate release of all Tibetan political prisoners,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAbove all, I urge for your continued support for the Tibetan issue until there is a solution to our just cause,\u201d Sangpo concluded in his statement. After initial treatment in the United States, he <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/takna-jigme-sangpo-arrives-in-switzerland-for-medical-treatment\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">opted to go to Switzerland<\/a> in August 2002, as he had a standing invitation from the Swiss government to undergo medical treatment there. Initially, he was housed in the Tibet-Institut Rikon and eventually moved to a retirement home where he passed away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October 2002, Sangpo traveled to Graz in Austria where he received an audience with the Dalai Lama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Many arrests<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born in 1926, Takna Jigme Sangpo was <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/takna-jigme-sangpo-tibets-longest-serving-political-prisoner-released-on-medical-parole\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">first arrested in 1960<\/a> while teaching at Lhasa Primary School and charged with \u2018corrupting the minds of children with reactionary ideas.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1964 he was sentenced to three years\u2019 imprisonment in Sangyip Prison over comments regarding Chinese repression of Tibetans and was sent to a labor camp in Lhasa, Tibet\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1970 he was sentenced to 10 years hard labor in Sangyip Prison on charges of inciting his niece to escape to India to report Chinese atrocities to the Dalai Lama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sangpo was released from prison in 1979 and transferred to Reform-Through-Labor Unit 1 in Nyethang, west of Lhasa, but he was arrested again on Sept. 3, 1983 by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the official sentencing, issued on Nov. 30, 1983, the Lhasa City Intermediate People\u2019s Court noted that the defendant had evidently never seriously re-considered his past \u201ccounter-revolutionary crimes.\u201d He was therefore charged with \u201cspreading and inciting counter-revolutionary propaganda\u201d and sentenced to 15 years\u2019 imprisonment in addition to five years\u2019 deprivation of civil and political rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Dec. 1, 1988, Sangpo was again prosecuted for raising \u201creactionary slogans\u201d relating to Chinese suppression of Tibet while in Drapchi prison (also called the \u201cTibet Autonomous Region\u201d Prison). He was once again found guilty of \u201cspreading and inciting counter-revolutionary propaganda,\u201d and his sentence was increased by five years, and the deprivation of his civil and political rights was extended by another year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On April 4, 1992, Sangpo received an additional eight-year sentence extension and a subsequent three-year extension on the deprivation of his civil and political rights. This brought his current sentence to a total of 28 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had his sentence been carried to term to September 2011, Sangpo would have spent 41 years in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Indomitable spirit<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He represents the indomitable spirit of the Tibetan people and was a reminder to the international community about the aspirations and determination of the Tibetan people under Chinese rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017, the International Campaign for Tibet supported the English publication of Sangpo\u2019s memoir, \u201cSwirling Red Dust, the story of Tibet\u2019s longest-serving political prisoner.\u201d Those desiring a copy can contact support@tibetwrites.in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Takna Jigme Sangpo, who had been Tibet\u2019s longest serving political prisoner, passed away in Switzerland on October 17, 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":12526,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categorie":[691],"news_tag":[],"class_list":["post-12525","nieuws","type-nieuws","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categorie-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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