ROSSENDALE campaigners have helped secure the release of a prisoner of conscience from a notorious Tibetan prison.

The Rossendale and Hyndburn branch of Amnesty International has been working tirelessly for the release of Jampel Changchub from Drapchi Prison.

Kate Conboy-Greenwood, chairwoman of the group, said the members have been overwhelmed by the support received from the local community in their fight to help free Jampel.

Local mayors to schoolchildren have helped by sending postcards and letters to officials in China and Tibet asking for Jampel's release.

More recently Rossendale bands Ded Mole Crikit and Stolen, along with music students from the Accrington and Rossendale College, have held fund and awareness-raising events dedicated to Jampel.

Rossendale MP Janet Anderson and Greg Pope, Hyndburn's Member of Parliament, have also raised the case of Jampel and others at Drapchi with the Foreign Office.

And Greg Pope raised the profile of the case by putting down an Early Day Motion in Parliament, asking for his release.

Jampel, a Buddist monk, was finally released earlier this month, after serving 16 years in prison for organising a peaceful protest and translating the declaration of Human Rights from Chinese into Tibetan.

The "crimes" were considered to be counter revolutionary and he was sentenced to 19 years' incarceration.

Along with the other organisers he was sent to Drapchi where he suffered physical and mental torture.

While he was there other prisoners of conscience were killed for organising a protest when a European delegation visited.

Jampel's sentence was reduced some years ago for good behaviour.

Members of the Rossendale and Hyndburn group have been sending postcards to the prison governor including Jampel's picture and a message saying "we will not forget Jampel Changchub" written in English, Chinese and Tibetan.

Kate, who lives in Blackburn Road, Haslingden, said: "We may never discover how or where he is now and we still feel he is at risk because the Chinese regime in Tibet does not allow people to practise their Buddist religion.

"People are not allowed to have pictures of the Dalai Lama. Other monks and nuns that have been released have fled Tibet to join the monastery in India where the Dalai Lama lives in exile.

"We will be writing to the Chinese authorities to ask them to ensure Jampel's safety and allow him to leave the country if he wishes to do so."

She added: "I would like to thank everyone who has helped us work for Jampel's release.

"We want to reassure people that we will be continuing to appeal for the release of the other prisoners of conscience still in Tibet."