Committee of Concerned Scientists

An international non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

An independent non-profit organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of our colleagues around the world.

Teacher of the Tibetan Language Fired for Teaching

Dhonyoe, a teacher of the Tibetan language at Meruma Central Primary School in the Sichuan province of China, had his teaching license suspended and was fired from his position. It would appear to be retaliation for pushing for greater use of the language in the school. The Committee is concerned Dhonyoe’s expulsion from the school has political motivations and goes against what China says it is doing in Tibet in international media.

May 13, 2024

President Xi Jinping
President of the People’s Republic of China
Zhongnanhai
Xichangan’jie
Xichengqu, Beijing Shi 100017

Dear President Xi Jinping,

The Committee of Concerned Scientists is an independent organization of scientists, physicians, engineers, and scholars devoted to the protection and advancement of human rights and scientific freedom for colleagues all over the world.

We are writing regarding Mr. Dhonyoe, a teacher of the Tibetan language and history at Meruma Central Primary School in the Sichuan province of China. He recently had his teaching license suspended and was fired from his position for promoting the use of the Tibetan language beyond the limits set by the government. In the past, he was subjected to interrogations.

The suspension of Mr. Dhonyoe appears to be a retaliation for his advocacy for
greater use of the Tibetan language in the school. The Committee is concerned that
his expulsion from the school has been politically motivated in pursuit of the
assimilation of the Tibetan population and eradication of their culture and
language.

The Committee respectfully requests that Mr. Dhonyoe’s position be restored and that he be allowed to continue teaching the Tibetan language at Meruma Central Primary School.

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. We will be closely following developments in this case.

Sincerely,

Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich, Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists

CC:
Anthony Blinken
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520

Who We Are

Co-chairs

Joel L. Lebowitz, Rutgers University

Walter Reich, George Washington University

Eugene Chudnovsky, Lehman College

Alexander Greer, Brooklyn College

Vice-chairs

Biology – Max E. Gottesman, Columbia University

Chemistry – Zafra Lerman, MIMSAD Inc.

Computer Science – Rachelle Heller, The George Washington University

Engineering – Philip Sarachik, NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering

Computer Science – Jack Minker, University of Maryland, College Park

Mathematics – Simon Levin, Princeton University

Honorary Board Members

Nancy Andrews, Duke University

Myles Axton, Chief Editor, Genetics and Genomics Next

David Baltimore, California Institute of Technology*

Alan J. Bard, University of Texas

David Gross, University of California, Santa Barbara*

James Langer, University of California, Santa Barbara

Peter Lax, New York University

Giorgio Parisi, Roma I University La Sapienza

John C. Polanyi, University of Toronto*

Stuart Rice, University of Chicago

Sir Richard J. Roberts, New England Biolabs*

Maxine Singer, Carnegie Institution of Washington

Alfred I. Tauber, Boston University

Myrna Weissman, Columbia University

Former Honorary Board Members

Jacob Bigeleisen (deceased), SUNY, Stony Brook

Raoul Bott (deseased) Harvard University

Owen Chamberlain (deceased), University of California, Berkeley

Stanley Deser (deceased), Brandeis University

Edward Gerjuoy (deceased), University of Pittsburgh

Pierre Hohenberg (deceased), New York University

Walter Kohn (deceased), University of California, Santa Barbara*

Louis Nirenberg (deceased), New York University

Marshall Nirenberg (deceased), National Institutes of Health*

Myriam Sarachick (deceased), City College of New York

Harold Scheraga (deceased), Cornell University

Sylvan Schweber (deceased), Brandeis University

Steven Weinberg (deceased), University of Texas, Austin*

Rosalyn S. Yalow (deceased), Mount Sinai School of Medicine*

* Nobel laureate

Committee of Concerned Scientists

c/o Alexandra R. Bender, Executive Director
P.O. Box 273
Mountainhome, PA 18342
abender@concernedscientists.org