• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • FR
  • Offices
    • Amsterdam
    • Berlin
    • Washington DC

International Campaign for Tibet - Brussels Office

  • About us
    • About International Campaign for Tibet
    • The Brussels Office
    • Contact us
  • About Tibet
    • Overview
    • Religious freedom
    • Environment
    • Suppression of dissent
    • Access to Tibet
  • The EU and Tibet
    • EU-China Relations
    • European Parliament
      • Resolutions
      • Intergroup
    • EU Council / EU Presidency
    • European External Action Service
    • Recommendations
  • News & Resources
  • Our Work
    • At the United Nations
    • Publications

UN Rights Commissioner makes strong first statement on Tibet

November 2, 2012 ・ International Campaign for TibetNews

Days before the Chinese leadership meets for its important Party Congress, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has urged the Chinese government to immediately address the long-standing Tibetan grievances that have led to an escalation in protests and 62 self-immolations.

Mary Beth Markey, President of the International Campaign for Tibet, said today: “We welcome this strong message from the UN High Commissioner, signalling her office’s acute concern about the crisis in Tibet and support for the Tibetan people. It will certainly be noticed in Beijing that this authoritative statement is issued in the week before a major generational leadership change in the Chinese Communist Party leadership, and welcomed by Tibetans struggling inside Tibet.”

In the statement, Navi Pillay, who recently began her second term in the role of UN HCHR, said: “Social stability in Tibet will never be achieved through heavy security measures and suppression of human rights. Deep underlying issues need to be addressed, and I call on the Government to seriously consider the recommendations made to it by various international human rights bodies, as well as to avail itself of the expert advice being offered by the UN’s independent experts on human rights.”

The International Campaign for Tibet has stepped up its advocacy at the UN in Geneva this year, lobbying the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as submitting information and recommendations to human rights experts of the UN Human Rights Council and Treaty Bodies. ICT has briefed country representatives in Geneva on cultural genocide in Tibet and on the self-immolations and Chinese policies.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the Chinese government, as a confidence-building measure, to allow independent and impartial monitors to visit and assess the actual conditions on the ground, and to lift restrictions on media access to the region. She noted that there are 12 outstanding requests for official visits to China by UN Special Rapporteurs on various human rights issues, including one by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief.

High Commissioner Pillay, while urging Tibetans not to self-immolate, blames Chinese policies for creating the conditions in which the self-immolations are happening, “I recognise Tibetans’ intense sense of frustration and despair which has led them to resort to such extreme means, but there are other ways to make those feelings clear. The Government also needs to recognise this, and permit Tibetans to express their feelings without fear of retribution.”

The statement follows below in full.

Pillay: China must urgently address deep-rooted frustrations with human rights in Tibetan areas

GENEVA (2 November 2012) – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday urged Chinese authorities to promptly address the longstanding grievances that have led to an alarming escalation in desperate forms of protest, including self-immolations, in Tibetan areas.

The UN human rights chief said she was disturbed by “continuing allegations of violence against Tibetans seeking to exercise their fundamental human rights of freedom of expression, association and religion,” and pointed to “reports of detentions and disappearances, of excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators, and curbs on the cultural rights of Tibetans.”

Cases have included a 17-year-old girl who was reportedly severely beaten and sentenced to three years in prison for distributing flyers calling for Tibet’s freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama. Others have been sentenced to between four and seven years in prison for writing essays, making films or distributing photos of events in Tibet outside China. Serious concerns have been raised about fair trial standards, and the torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

“I have had several exchanges with the Chinese Government on these issues. But more needs to be done to protect human rights and prevent violations,” Pillay said. “I call on the Government to respect the rights to peaceful assembly and expression, and to release all individuals detained for merely exercising these universal rights.”

The High Commissioner also appealed to Tibetans to refrain from resorting to extreme forms of protest, such as self-immolation, and urged community and religious leaders to use their influence to help stop this tragic loss of life.

“I recognise Tibetans’ intense sense of frustration and despair which has led them to resort to such extreme means,” she said, “but there are other ways to make those feelings clear. The Government also needs to recognise this, and permit Tibetans to express their feelings without fear of retribution.”

The High Commissioner urged the Government, as a confidence-building measure, to allow independent and impartial monitors to visit and assess the actual conditions on the ground, and to lift restrictions on media access to the region. She noted that there are 12 outstanding requests for official visits to China by UN Special Rapporteurs on various human rights issues, including one by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief. During the Universal Periodic Review of China’s human rights record before the UN Human Rights Council, the State pledged to step up cooperation with Special Procedures. Pillay called on the Government to facilitate their access.

“Social stability in Tibet will never be achieved through heavy security measures and suppression of human rights,” she said. “Deep underlying issues need to be addressed, and I call on the Government to seriously consider the recommendations made to it by various international human rights bodies, as well as to avail itself of the expert advice being offered by the UN’s independent experts on human rights.”

Among the recommendations made by international human rights bodies to the Government of China on Tibet are the following:

– UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Olivier De Schutter, recommended a suspension of non-voluntary resettlement of nomadic herders, who make up the majority of the Tibetan population, and called for a meaningful consultation.

– The UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CERD) recommended to China that any policies or incentives offered that may result in a substantial alteration of the demographic composition of autonomous minority areas be reviewed. CERD also recommended that the State party carefully consider the root causes of the unrest in March 2008, including inter-ethnic violence, and the reasons why the situation escalated.

– The UN Committee Against Torture in November 2008 recommended that China conduct a thorough and independent inquiry into events surrounding the protests in March 2008, including the reported excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators, notably monks, in Kardze county, Ngaba county, and Lhasa; and into allegations of torture and ill-treatment against those arrested and detained.

“My office also stands ready to assist constructively on these issues in the region and promoting best practices from around the world with regard to protection of minorities,” Pillay added.

Filed under: United Nations and Tibet

Footer

The Tibet Brief

A newsletter providing concise information and perspectives on the political, economic and human rights situation in Tibet

About us

The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is an international NGO working to promote democratic freedoms for Tibetans, ensure their human rights and protect the Tibetan culture and environment.

Read more

  • FR
  • Offices
    • Amsterdam
    • Berlin
    • Washington DC

Copyright ©2023 · International Campaign for Tibet - All Rights Reserved

By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies.