Washington, D.C., December 28, 2001 The International Campaign for Tibet has sent a message of condolence on the death of Wang Ruowang, a prominent Chinese intellectual. Wang died in New York on December 19 after a brief illness. He was 83.

A memorial meeting for Wang Ruowang is being held in New York on December 29, 2001 when a message of condolence from His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be read. ICT Director Bhuchung Tsering is attending the memorial meeting.

The Special Envoy of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Kasur Lodi Gyari, sent the following condolence to Mrs. Yang Zi, widow of Wang, on December 21. “Mr. Wang was a sincere friend of the Tibetan people. Those of us who had the chance to interact with him admire his sense of dedication to the welfare of the Chinese and the Tibetan people. His Holiness the Dalai Lama appreciated Wang’s steadfast support to his nonviolent effort at finding a negotiated solution to the Tibetan problem.”

In his message, ICT Director Bhuchung Tsering said, “Mr. Wang was a man of principle who strongly believed in freedom and democracy for the Chinese people. His consistent commitment to democratic values despite the tremendous personal sacrifices he had to make is a source of encouragement to all of us. To us Tibetans, Mr. Wang’s support for our right to determine our own destiny is something that the Tibetan people will never forget. We believe that the pathbreaking positions that Mr. Wang and like-minded fellow Chinese intellectuals have adopted will ultimately lead to the Chinese people and government recognizing the rights of the Tibetan people.”