LHASA—Wangdue, HIV/AIDS activist from Tibet, has been missing since March 14, 2008. Information from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) stated that Lhasa City Public Security Bureau officials arrested him from his residence. His family has not heard from him since.

Jampa Monlam, spokesperson for TCHRD, said, “After the Chinese armed officials took him away from home, his whereabouts remain unknown. His family is worried, but has no way to obtain any information about him.”

According to Jampa, after Wangdue was arrested, the national security officials searched his residence located in Tibet University in Lhasa and confiscated his computer.

Wangdue, in his early 40s was born in Lhasa. He used to be a monk in Jokhang Temple.  He is a former political prisoner initially arrested for his involvement in a protest in 1989 in Lhasa and was later sentenced to three years in Sangyip Prison. His sentence was further increased by four years by the Lhasa City Intermediate People's Court for his involvement in a prison protest. Following his release in 1995, Wangdue has been working with an Australian NGO in Lhasa and engaged in HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness.

The reporter called the Lhasa City Public Safety Bureau inquiring about Wangdue. The officer who answered the phone said he was unclear about the incident. When the reporter called the office of the Tibet Health Sector Support Program, a program sponsored by the Australian government, a staff from the AIDS program said that Wangdue worked in the Program two years ago, but no longer worked there.

According to attorney Zhang Tianyong from Beijing, China’s criminal law specifies that when a citizen is under criminal investigation and arrested by public safety officials, the officials are obligated to contact his family within 24 hours of his arrest and provide information on where he is detained and the charges against him. “It’s been a long time and the police failed to inform (Wangdue’s) family, this is against the law in China,” said Jiang.