On 29 February 2012 Tibetan human rights defender and writer, Ms Tsering Woeser, was placed under house arrest and told that she would not be permitted to attend a ceremony on 1 March in Beijing to collect an award from the Dutch-based Prince Claus Fund. In 2011 Woeser was named as a Prince Claus Fund laureate for her work on Tibet and “her courage in speaking out for those who are silenced and oppressed”. Tsering Woeser also goes by the single name, Woeser.

Beijing-based Woeser has posted a note online today, 1 March, saying that the previous evening two officers from the State Security unit of the Beijing Public Security Bureau had come to her apartment. Woeser's husband, who spoke to them, was told that Woeser was forbidden from attending the prize ceremony in the residence of the Dutch Ambassador, due to take place today.  Furthermore, the agents informed her husband that Woeser would be placed under house arrest for the month of March. It is believed that this decision may be related to the sittings of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the National People's Congress, which begin on 3 and 5 March respectively. A car with police inside has been stationed on the street outside her apartment. Woeser notes that this is the first time a Chinese recipient of the Prince Claus Award has been prevented from collecting the award. She also notes that in the last two months, she has been 'invited to drink tea' by the police - a euphemism for being questioned - four times.

Woeser is a well-know poet and blogger who writes on Tibetan identity and culture and is critical of Chinese government policy. She has dedicated poems to Tibetans who have been imprisoned or disappeared and has recently written about the self-immolations being carried out by Tibetans in Western China. As a result of her work, Woeser has faced harassment and restrictions, including twice being blocked from leaving China to accept awards for her writing.

Front Line Defenders believes that the prevention of Woeser from attending the award ceremony by police and her placement under house arrest are directly related to her human rights activities and constitute a flagrant breach of her right to freedom of movement.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in China to:

1. Immediately release Ms Tsering Woeser from house arrest as Front Line Defenders believes that her house arrest is solely motivated by her legitimate human rights work;
   
2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation as to why Woeser was prevented from attending the Prince Claus Award ceremony, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards,
   
3. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Woeser;
   
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in China are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

See http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/node/17575/action