The US has said it shares the concern of the American public on Ngawang Choephel.

The key messages were: "In the absence of any evidence that he has committed any crime, we urge the Chinese and the Tibetan Autonomous Region authorities to release Ngawang Choephel immediately.

"We have no information that Mr. Choephel was involved in anything other than pursuing his professional interests in the field of ethnomusicologist, the non-violent video-taping of traditional Tibetan dances. He is a trained ethnomusicologist, and video-taping of a dance is not incompatible with his profession. The US is concerned, as the Secretary stated in his September 25 meeting with Deputy Premier Qian, about the preservation of Tibet's unique cultural, linguistic and religious heritage."