Global Outcry: UN States Condemn China’s Human Rights Abuses in Tibet during Major UN Human Rights Review
Calls for Justice and Accountability for Tibet Grow Louder, more than doubling the number of States raising Tibet than during last review
23 January 2023 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Geneva] China faced an unprecedented challenge to its human rights violations in Tibet today, in what Tibet advocates hailed as a “landmark” session at the United Nations.
At least 20 UN Member States used China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva to raise uncompromising recommendations about the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet. [2]
Among governments’ recommendations to China were that it end the residential boarding school system in Tibet; to end forced labour and coercive labour transfer in Tibet; to grant the UN full and unfettered access to Tibet; to guarantee access to Tibetan language education [in every aspect of their schooling]; and to respect the rights to freedom of religion, or belief, opinion, and expression, peaceful assembly and culture in Tibet.
The rise in governments raising Tibet has increased two-fold since China’s last UPR in 2018 and is up almost five-fold since China’s first UPR in 2009, signalling the severe worsening of the human rights situation on the ground [3], as China continues to deny independent UN human rights monitors access to the country.
Tibet advocates have been pressing governments to use the UPR as a platform to spotlight China’s systematic attack on Tibetans’ human rights [4] including recommendations of wide-ranging concerns that governments should raise. It also follows a growing number of reports and communications to the Chinese government by UN human rights experts, expressing concern at the status of Tibetan political prisoners and China’s residential boarding school system, where nearly 1 million Tibetan children have been placed following their separation from their families and communities. [5]
A more systematic and deepening crackdown is being implemented in Tibet under the leadership of Xi Jinping to the point that Freedom House currently ranks Tibet as the least free place in the world for civil and political rights, alongside Syria. [6]
Witnessing the Review firsthand at Palais Nations in Geneva, Tibet campaigners spoke out about the outcome:
Lhadon Tethong of Tibet Action Institute said: “China thinks it can get away with atrocity crimes, including holding one million Tibetan children in a coercive residential school system designed to stamp out their identity, but today’s UN review shows governments are willing to hold Beijing accountable. The dramatic increase in the number of UN Member States who spoke out for Tibet at China’s review speaks to the existential threat China’s assimilationist policies pose to the Tibetan people.”
Topjor Tsultrim of Students for a Free Tibet said “Today is a landmark moment for Tibetans in Tibet who have lived under China’s occupation for over 70 years. China would like the world to continue to ignore its violations in Tibet, but 19 governments have ignored China’s coercive pressure and taken a decisive stand for Tibet.”
Gloria Montgomery of Tibet Advocacy Coalition, said: “Today we witnessed a significant turning point in the global response to the human rights crisis in Tibet, with a twofold increase in the number of governments raising Tibet at the UN since China’s last review. UN Member States refused to shy away from their responsibility to hold China accountable for its grievous human rights violations.”
Thinle Shitsetsang of Tibetan Youth Association Europe said: “China’s attempts to cover up their systematic human rights abuses in Tibet are failing and today we have witnessed the growing number of governments that are willing to spotlight Xi Jinping’s deliberate and systemic abuses.”
Mandie McKeown of International Tibet Network said: “The timing of these recommendations on Tibet from UN Member States could not be more urgent. Tibetans are routinely imprisoned and tortured for simply raising questions about human rights in Tibet. We’re buoyed by the number of governments that have led by example, showing the Chinese government they cannot intimidate the world to remain silent on Tibet, but equally there are more that need to step up and speak out about China’s flagrant abuses.”
John Jones of Free Tibet said: “The Chinese government thinks it can get away with appalling crimes, including holding one million Tibetan children in a coercive residential school system designed to stamp out their identity, but today’s review shows that a growing number of governments are willing to confront Beijing and hold it accountable. The dramatic increase in the number of States who spoke out for Tibetans at China’s UN review today directly reflects the devastating decline in the human rights situation on the ground inside Tibet.”
This is China’s fourth UPR, and whilst it has nominally participated in the process, in reality it has failed to adhere to any of the accepted recommendations agreed in the last three Reviews (2009, 2013 and 2018); it has failed to include any genuine public consultation in the preparation of its national report.
During the review, the Chinese delegation accused governments critical of its human rights record as being unfactual and prejudiced.
They also presented false information about human rights improvements, including that education in Tibet is free and that Tibetan parents are able to see or speak with their children in residential schools whenever they wish. They also falsely claimed Tibetan nomads voluntarily choose to leave their traditional lands.
China will now have the opportunity to review these recommendations and decide which it will ‘accept’ or not. [7] The Chinese government is then expected to implement accepted recommendations until its next UPR in 2029. The government is also encouraged by the UN to report on the status of implementation halfway through, by publishing a ‘mid-term report’ yet, China has never done it for past reviews.
Notes for Editors:
[1] OHCHR, Universal Periodic Review – China: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/cn-index
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-review process under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, where UN Member States assess each other’s human rights records, their fulfillment of human rights obligations and commitments, and provide recommendations to the State under review: https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/upr-home
This is China’s fourth review under the Universal Periodic Review, and whilst China has nominally participated in the process, in reality it has failed to adhere to any of the accepted recommendations agreed in the last three Reviews (2009, 2013 and 2018), has failed to include any public consultation in the preparing of its national report, and has presented the UNHRC with false information about improvements that have been made.
[2] Tibet-specific recommendations were as follows:
1. Australia (1)
“Consistent with the OHCHR and other treaty body reports on Xinjiang and Tibet, repeal legislation and cease practises which discriminate against Tibetans and Uyghurs on the basis of race or religion. Cease arbitrary detention, coercive labour transfer, and family separation programs, and end restrictions on movement and on rights to enjoy their own culture and language.”
3. Austria (2)
“Repeal policies to forcibly assimilate Tibetan and Uyghur people culturally, religiously and linguistically.”
“Abolish Chinese language boarding school systems for Tibetans and Uyghur pupils and ensure the right to education without discrimination to family life and cultural rights.”
3. Canada (2):
“End all coercive measures imposed on Uyghurs, Tibetans and other ethnic minorities including forced labour, coercive labour transfer, forced sterilisations and mandatory residential schools.”
“Grant the UN including the OHCHR and Special Procedures full and unfettered access to all regions of China including Tibet and Xinjiang. Canada also notes with concern the increasing extra-territorial repression of human rights defenders.”
4. Czech Republic (1)
“End the criminalisation of religious and peaceful expression by ethnic and ethno-religious groups including Muslim Uyghurs and Buddhist Tibetans and Mongolians under the pretext of protecting state security.”
5. Denmark (1)
“Immediately abolish the coercive residential school system imposed on Tibetan children; ensure persons belonging to minorities can fully enjoy their cultural rights and use their own language.”
6. Estonia (1) [New State to raise Tibet]
“Respect and ensure the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, in particular in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
7. France (1)
“Ensure protection of the freedom of religion particularly for Uyghurs and Tibetans.”
8. Germany (2)
“Respect the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities including Xinjiang and Tibet.”
“Abolish all coercive practices and labor transfer programs and boarding schools.”
9. Japan (1) [New State to raise Tibet]
“Protect the rights of minorities including Tibetans and Uyghurs, including their rights to enjoy their cultural and religious practice as recommended by CESCR.”
10. Lithuania (2) [New State to raise Tibet]
“Ensure that children in all regions, including Tibetan children, are guaranteed the right to use their language in every aspect of their schooling.”
“Guarantee the rights of all citizens to opinion and expression without fear of reprisals and censorship in all regions including Hong Kong, Tibet and others.”
11. Netherlands (1)
“Abolish the de facto coercive residential boarding and preschool system in Tibet and guarantee access to Tibetan language education.”
12. New Zealand (1)
“Implement the 2023 recommendations by CESCR and CEDAW recommendations on the right to thought, conscience and religion for ethnic and religious minorities including ethnic Uyghurs and Tibetans.”
13. Norway (1)
“Allow unhindered access to UN special rapporteurs and independent experts to evaluate persistent reports of violations of human rights in China, including in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
14. Poland (1)
“Respect the rights to freedom of religion, or belief, opinion, and expression, peaceful assembly and culture, including for Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities.”
15. Sweden (1)
“Take urgent steps to fully respect the rights of ethnic and religious minorities esp in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
16. Switzerland (1)
“Bolster the protection of Tibetan culture and language in the compulsory education system and authorise the creation of private Tibetan schools.”
17. United Kingdom (1)
“Cease the persecution and arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and allow genuine freedom of religion or belief and cultural expression without fear of surveillance, torture, forced labour or sexual violence, and implement OHCHR recommendations on Xinjiang.
18. United States of America (3)
“Release all arbitrarily detained individuals, many of whom were named by the UN working group, cease harassment, surveillance and threats against individuals abroad and in China including Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.”
“Cease discrimination against individuals’, culture, language, religion or belief, and end forcible assimilation policies including boarding schools in Tibet and Xinjiang.”
“Permit the UN unhindered and meaningful access particularly in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
19. Ireland (1) [New State to raise Tibet]
“Ireland is deeply concerned about the continued repression of civil society in China, including harassment of human rights defenders, restrictions on freedom of expression, including in Hong Kong and the treatment of ethnic and religious groups, including in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
20. Montenegro (1) [New State to raise Tibet]
“[S]erious human rights violations have been committed in the context of the government’s strategies to fight terrorism and extremism, in particular in Xinjiang and Tibet.”
[3] Joint report by Tibet Advocacy Coalition and International Tibet Network Member Groups: https://tibetnetwork.org/tibet-group-submission-china-upr2024/
Tibet Advocacy Coalition is a project established in 2013 by International Tibet Network, Tibet Justice Center and Students for a Free Tibet to develop coordinated strategies, monitoring tools, and reports to highlight the situation in Tibet at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Coalition core members are Tibet Justice Center, International Tibet Network Secretariat, Students for a Free Tibet, Tibetan Youth Association Europe, Tibet Action Institute and Tibet Initiative Deutschland.
[4] ‘Separated from their families, hidden from the world’, https://tibetaction.net/colonial-boarding-school-report/
[5] Over the last 18 months, multiple UN human rights bodies raising the alarm at the escalation of human rights violations in Tibet; OHCHR, Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on minority issues; the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; the Special Rapporteur on the right to education and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, 11 November 2022: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27444; OHCHR, China: UN experts alarmed by separation of 1 million Tibetan children from families and forced assimilation at residential schools, 6 February 2023:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/02/china-un-experts-alarmed-separation-1-million-tibetan-children-families-and#:~:text=GENEVA%20(6%20February%202023)%20–,%2C%20UN%20experts*%20warned%20today ; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations, 6 March 2023: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2FC.12%2FCHN%2FCO%2F3&Lang=en; Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Concluding Observations, 30 May 2023: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2FC%2FCHN%2FCO%2F9&Lang=en; OHCHR, Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences; the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights; the Special Rapporteur on the right to development; the Special Rapporteur on minority issues; the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, AL CHN 14/2022, 6 February 2023: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=27776 ; OHCHR, Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, AL CHN 14/2023, 28 July 2023: https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=28246; Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding Observations, 6 March 2023: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=E%2FC.12%2FCHN%2FCO%2F3&Lang=en; and Committee on Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Concluding Observations, 30 May 2023: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CEDAW%2FC%2FCHN%2FCO%2F9&Lang=en
[6] https://freedomhouse.org/country/tibet/freedom-world/2023
[7] During the 56th session of the Human Rights Council from 18 June 2024 to 12 July 2024; https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/sessions
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