Tibetan filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen Released!

Dhondup Wangchen was detained for his involvement in making the film "Leaving Fear Behind," which expresses Tibetan attitudes toward the Beijing Olympics and the Dalai Lama. He was sentenced after a secret trial and was reportedly tortured and refused necessary medical treatment.

Upon his release, police drove him to his sister's home in Kotse (Chinese Keque) in Qinghai province. Speaking to his cousin, Gyaljong Tsetrin, Dhondup Wangchen said "At this moment, I feel that everything inside me is in a sea of tears. I hope to recover my health soon. I would like to express my feeling of deepest gratitude for all the support I received while in prison and I want to be reunited with my family."

Dhondup Wangchen’s wife Lhamo Tso, who is in the US with the couple’s four children, said: "Six years of injustice and painful counting the days ended today. It is a day of unbelievable joy for his parents in Dharamsala, our children and myself. We look forward to be reunited as a family."

Thank you to AIUSA Local Groups 133 (Somerville, MA) and 86 (Cincinnati, OH), who adopted Dhondup Wangchen’s case, but also Groups 30 (San Francisco, CA) and 137 (San Diego, CA) and everyone who campaigned on his behalf.