Berlin, August 28, 2015. On the occasion of the 49th day after the death of Tibetan Lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche who died in Chinese jail on July 12, 2015 after being imprisoned for 13 years, Tibet Initiative Deutschland (TID) together with the Association of Tibetans in Germany (VTD) held a Tibetan mourning ceremony and vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Berlin, Friday.
With the slogan "13 years in Chinese custody: Disenfrachised. Tortured. Killed." Tibetans and Tibet supporters gathered to mourn the widely respected Lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche with Tibetan prayers and chants. His death had caused a stir among German and international politics.
"We are deeply shocked by the death of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche as it shows once more the merciless brutality of the Chinese authorities against Tibetan political prisoners and the blunt ignorance of international human rights standards", says Nadine Baumann, Executive Director of TID. "His life could have been saved and we strongly urge the international community and especially the German government to thoroughly investigate the case and to hold the Chinese government responsible."
According to Chinese law, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche could have been released early on medical parole due to his alarming state of health. His family applied for this but never received an answer from the Chinese authorities.
"We cannot let the Chinese government get away with sweeping its atrocities under the carpet. Therefore, we demand an investigation into the circumstances of Rinpoche's death and we expect that the Chinese government will be held responsible for its human rights violations."
Shortly after Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's death, Tibet Initiative Deutschland had petioned the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Christoph Strässer, to advocate for a thorough investigation into Tenzin Delek Rinpoche's death. The Chinese government has not yet responded to this request.
