Last night, we found out that Tashi Wangchuk received a sentence of five years in prison on charges of “inciting separatism”. His crime: advocating for the protection of Tibetan language.

Regardless of China’s obligations to protect the Tibetan language under their own constitution, Tashi’s calls for the right to learn, read, write, and speak Tibetan freely were ignored. Instead, Tashi Wangchuk has been slapped with a five year sentence – a reflection of China’s racist policies against Tibetans. Read our full statement here.

Tashi has not given up hope. As he appeals the verdict, here are two simple things you can do to support the global campaign:

1. Sign the petition, addressed to the five governments who attempted to observe Tashi’s trial – the European Union, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Canada – and urge them to press China for Tashi Wangchuk’s immediate and unconditional release.
2. Write to your elected leaders and ask them to make an urgent statement condemning the sentence and calling for Tashi Wangchuk’s release.

Our work depends on your support. Please consider making a contribution so that we can continue our work for justice in Tibet, and for heroes like Tashi.

After over two years of arbitrary detention by Chinese authorities for his language advocacy, Tibetan shopkeeper Tashi Wangchuk has received a verdict of five years of imprisonment on trumped-up charges of “inciting separatism.” This kind of heavy-handed response is typical of an authoritarian and insecure government without rule of law. China is fearful of an ordinary person striving to preserve his native language, and it speaks volumes on her global ambitions. Tashi’s campaign for language preservation for Tibet has made him a global icon of culture and language preservation and an inspiration to us all.

By following China’s constitution and documenting the roadblocks he faced in bringing the government to court on language policies, Tashi has placed a magnifying glass on the absence of rule of law in China, and exposed China’s racist policies against Tibetans.

We condemn China’s unjust sentence on Tashi Wangchuk, and call for his immediate and unconditional release. China’s verdict means Tashi will be imprisoned until 2021, but he plans to appeal the sentence. Tashi has not given up hope and neither have we.