The Ngawang Choephel Case

1996 - 2002

August 2, 1996 - sent a letter to the head of the Chinese Communist Party urging him to investigate Mr. Choephel’s case.

October 23, 1996 - sent a letter with Representative Sanders to Ambassador Li Dayou requesting more details on Mr. Choephel’s health, location, and the evidence against him after learning that he had been charged with espionage.

November 14, 1996 - discussed Mr. Choephel's case with Chinese President Jiang in Beijing.

November 21, 1996 - sent a letter to President Jiang thanking him for the visit and urging him to look into Mr. Choephel’s case personally.

December 10, 1996 - sent another letter to President Jiang again requesting that he look into this case personally, after learning that Mr. Choephel was being held in solitary confinement in the Sangyip prison in Lhasa, Tibet.

January 21, 1997 - made a statement on the Senate floor in support of a resolution which he co-sponsored with Senator Moynihan.

February 11, 1997 - sent a letter with five other Senators to President Jiang about Mr. Choephel.

October 21, 1997 - sent a letter to National Security Advisor Samuel Berger urging him to request information about Mr. Choephel during President Jiang’s visit to the United States.

October 29, 1998 - sent a letter to President Jiang again urging that he look into Mr. Choephel’s case personally.

October 29, 1998 - spoke on the Senate floor about Mr. Choephel.

April 20, 1998 - sent letters to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and President Jiang, urging them to discuss Mr. Choephel’s status during Secretary Albright’s visit in May.

April 22, 1998 - spoke on the Senate floor about Mr. Choephel.

May 20, 1998 - sent a letter with Representative Sanders to Chinese Ambassador Li Zhao Xing requesting Mr. Choephel’s release after learning that he had been sent to the Nyari Detention Center.

June 9, 1998 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to President Clinton urging him to seek Mr. Choephel’s release during his visit China.

September 26, 1998 - sent a letter to Mrs. Mary Robinson, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, urging her to review Mr. Choephel’s case.

October 6, 1998 - sent a letter with 12 other Senators to Chinese Ambassador Li requesting that the Chinese Government permit Ms. Sonam Dekyi, Mr. Choephel’s mother, to travel to Tibet so that she may visit her son. Met with Ms. Dekyi in Washington to discuss her son’s situation. Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders were also present.

February 25, 1999 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, urging her to raise Mr. Choephel’s case at the APEC ministerial meeting.

April 3, 1999 - a member of the Senator’s staff met with Ms. Dekyi in New Delhi, India.

April 22, 1999 - sent a letter to Ambassador Li Zhaoxing about Ms. Dekyi referencing the Chinese Embassy Press Counselor’s February 3rd letter to the Editor in the Washington Post which states that in China, inmates, "have rights guaranteed by the Prison Law. They can exchange mail with relatives and friends and receive regular visits by family members."

July 21, 1999 - voted in support of Senate Joint Resolution 27 which would disapprove normal trade relations treatment to products produced in the People's Republic of China due to the Chinese Government’s failure to provide satisfactory answers to questions about Mr. Choephel's whereabouts, his health, the reasons for his incarceration and the evidence against him, and permits his mother to visit him.

September 2,3 and October 8, 1999 - sent letters with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to various heads of state urging them to raise Mr. Cheopel’s case with Chinese President Jiang.

September 7, 1999 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to President Jiang urging him to allow Ms. Dekyi to visit her son.

October 15, 1999 - sent a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, urging her to look into Mr. Choepel’s case.

November 1, 1999 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to Chinese Ambassador Li urging the release of Mr. Choephel.

December 8, 1999 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to US Ambassador Prueher, urging him to raise Mr. Choephel’s case with Chinese authorities.

December 9, 1999 - sent a letter to US Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donahue, urging the Chamber to press for Mr. Choephel’s release.

March 15, 2000 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords and Representative Sanders to US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke, urging him to raise Mr. Choephel’s case with China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

April 13, 2000 - sent a letter with Senator Jeffords to the Secretary of Commerce William Daley urging him to raise Mr. Choephel’s case with Chinese officials.

May 3, 2000 - sent a letter to Ambassador Li regarding Mr. Choephel, and Ms. Dekyi’s request to visit her son.

May 25, 2000 - met with Chinese Ambassador Li to discuss Mr. Choephel, and Ms. Dekyi’s request for a visa to visit him.

July 25, 2000 - wrote to President Jiang Zemin, urging him to allow Mr. Choephel to return home with his mother.

September 11, 2000 - met with Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission to discuss Mr. Choephel and PNTR vote.

February 16, 2001 - wrote to the Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission urging release of Mr. Choephel and requesting a follow-up meeting with the Deputy Chief of Mission to discuss the status of the case.

March 28, 2001 - wrote to the new Chinese Ambassador urging release of Mr. Choephel and requesting a meeting with the Ambassador to discuss the status of the case.

May 21, 2001 - wrote to former President Carter requesting that he work for the release of Mr. Choephel.

October 9, 2001 - wrote to Mr. Lorne Craner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, requesting that he discuss Mr. Choephel’s case with Chinese officials as part of the bilateral U.S.-China dialogue on human rights.

January 20, 2002 - Chinese authorities release Mr. Choephel for medical reasons and he is immediately flown to the United States.