URGENT ACTION
FEARS OF FORCED OPERATION ON tibetan WOMAN
There are fears that a young Tibetan woman, who has been imprisoned for moving the body of a man who set himself on fire, could be subjected to unnecessary medical procedures against her will.
Dolma Tso, 30, has had no access to her family or lawyer since her trial in November 2014. On 29 December 2015 and again on 4 January 2016, staff of the Chengdu Women’s Prison, Sichuan province, in south-west China, where Dolma is imprisoned, asked her family to give consent for her to undergo a medical operation for a stomach problem that they claimed she was suffering from. Earlier in December 2015, Dolma had sent a letter which stated that she had no health problems, but was scared about her safety and asked that no-one sign any consent documents on her behalf. There are fears that Dolma will be subjected to unnecessary medical procedures against her will that may put her health at risk. 

Dolma was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and a further three years’ deprivation of political rights in November 2014 in Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province (Meruma, Ngaba County, Amdo Province). She was charged with “intentional homicide” for lifting the charred body of her neighbour Kunchok Tsetenm into a vehicle after he set himself on fire on 3 December 2013. The Chinese authorities have a policy of immediately seizing the body of people who have committed self-immolation and not returning it to their relatives. 

During her 11 months’ pre-trial detention, other detainees witnessed police abusing Dolma, including tearing her earlobe, piercing a sharp pencil into her wrist, and shaving off her hair. Dolma was handcuffed and shackled during her imprisonment, and has not been allowed to receive visits from her lawyer or family, or to receive money, food and letters from them. 

Please write immediately in English, Chinese or your own language:
冝	Calling on the authorities to ensure that Dolma is not be tortured or ill-treated, including not being subjected to any forced medical procedures;
冝	Urging them to ensure Dolma has regular, unrestricted access to her family and lawyers;
冝	Calling on them to ensure that any penalty imposed and served following her conviction is commensurate with the gravity of the act committed and the circumstances of the offender, and is not disproportionately severe.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 15 APRIL 2016 TO:
Prison Governor 
Jiangyuzhang
Chengdu Women’s Prison
Chenghuan Lu, Longquanyi Qu
Chengdu, Sichuan 610100
People’s Republic of China 
Salutation: Dear Prison Governor

Director
Chen Mingquo Tingzhang
Sichuan Provincial Administration of Justice 
24 Shangxiang Jie
Chengdu, Sichuan 610015
People's Republic of China 
Fax: +86 28 86622243
Salutation: Dear Director

Governor
Yin Li Shengzhang
Sichuan Provincial Government Office
30 Duyuan Jie
Chengdu, Sichuan 610016
People’s Republic of China
Fax: +86 28 86604036
Salutation: Dear Governor

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation	
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. 

URGENT ACTION
FEARS OF FORCED OPERATION ON tibetan WOMAN
ADditional Information
Ethnic Tibetans in China face discrimination and restrictions on their rights to freedom of religious belief, expression, association and peaceful assembly. Tibetan monks, writers, protesters and activists are regularly detained as a result of their peaceful activities. 

Since February 2009, at least 143 people have set themselves on fire in Tibetan-populated areas in protest against repressive policies by the authorities. Tibetans can be sentenced on homicide charges based on their alleged “intent” and presumed ability to influence a Tibetan who has self-immolated. 

Torture and other ill-treatment remain endemic in all places of detention in China, and this risk is even greater for those who are not allowed access to their family or lawyer. 

Under international standards, punishments involving deprivation of liberty should only be imposed to serve a pressing social need and should be proportionate to that need.

Name: Dolma Tso
Gender m/f: Female

UA: 47/16 Index: ASA 17/3568/2016 Issue Date: 4 March 2016