By: Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, Posted: Nov 4 09

Regions: China

Issues: Detention, Freedom of opinion & expression, Torture

Tags: consent, Detention, Dhondup Wangchen, documentary, Leaving Fear Behind, safety, security, tibet

In August of 2008, we published Leaving Fear Behind on the Hub, a film made by a Tibetan filmmaker named Dhondup Wangchen. In the film, Tibetans living inside Tibet were interviewed and asked to share their feelings about the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In Tibet, merely speaking out against Chinese rule or worshipping the Dalai Lama are considered crimes (and subject to severe punishment), so we had to consider the safety risks before deciding whether to publish the video.

In this case, as the film shows, Dhondup Wangchen went out of his way to explain the dangers of being filmed to the subjects of the film. The people who consented to being interviewed - and those who agreed to have their faces shown - did so knowing the risks they were taking.

When they finished filming the interviews, Dhondup Wangchen and his assistant Golog Jigme - a Buddhist monk - sent the tapes to a cousin living in exile in Switzerland. Shortly afterwards, they were both arrested. Golog Jigme was detained for several months and, after being released, has stated he was tortured while in detention.

Dhondup remained in jail. In July, his family issued a statement expressing grave concern for his health after reports that he was not receiving necessary medical treatment in detention. Dhondup was accused of "inciting separatism" and is now facing charges of "subversion." His trial has reportedly just begun. Dhondup's lawyers were denied access to the court and he was appointed a public defenders, so it is questionable that he will receive a fair trial. According to early reports from his lawyers, the filmmaker told them he was tortured in jail. There have been no communications about him since.

As Dhondup's story shows, the enormous changes in technology and media literacy are fueling the possibility for a whole new generation of people to become human rights activists.

Right now, the opportunities that media and technology provide are exciting news for the Video for Change movement, as was also evidenced by the Twitter Revolution in Iran earlier this year.

As an organization that is deeply committed to video as an advocacy tool, we're excited as well. But at the same time, we are concerned. Concerned about the safety and security of the people who are featured in or have access to human rights videos online. What happens once that video has been through many ReTweets (RTs) on Twitter or is featured on YouTube? Can those pieces of media become easy guides for those in repressive governments who are seeking to arrest the filmmakers and those filmed?

This is a careful balance that needs to be struck when making a choice to "speak up" against a regime (or for a cause). It is a choice that can only be made by the person whose safety is potentially in jeopardy. Did that person fully understand the worst-case scenario? Here at WITNESS when we train human rights defenders, we emphasize the importance of safety and consent when filming people and using those videos to create change. You can read more about the ethics of online video in this post by Sam Gregory. For resources and training materials, see our Video Advocacy Toolkit.

TAKE ACTION: Visit LeavingFearBehind.com to get involved with the campaign for Dhondup Wangchen's release.