Tenzing Dawa, TCHRD senior programme officer, delivering the statement on behalf of IFOR.
On September 27th the International Fellowship of Reconciliation took the floor at the UN Human Rights Council during the General debate on the human rights situations that require the Council’s attention.
IFOR addressed the dramatic situation in the Tibetan region highlighting the ongoing violation of cultural rights, freedom of expression, conscience, thought and religion, for instance.
Human Rights Council, 51st Session
27th September 2022
GD Item 4: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Oral statement delivered by the International Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Madam vice-president,
The International Fellowship of Reconciliation expresses serious concerns regarding the situation of violation of cultural rights with reference to the intensification of forced cultural assimilation of Tibetans inside Tibet by the Chinese government.
In recent years, repressive legal and policy measures were introduced to impose Chinese medium education starting from the preschool level. Non-governmental initiatives offering lessons in Tibetan language and culture have been suppressed.
Sinicization's policies have also resulted in the systematic persecution of Tibetan intellectuals, educators, and cultural leaders; some of those have been victims of incommunicado detention and sentenced in secret without access to do legal process.
Throughout pandemic lockdowns, the human rights situation in Tibet continues to deteriorate. Unprecedented controls on online communication is resulting in Tibet as an informational black hole.
Restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, religion and expression continue to escalate. We have registered cases of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance of Tibetans for merely engaging in peaceful protests.
We call on this Council and the High Commissioner to address the human rights situation of Tibetans and to work together with China to ensure the protection of their cultural rights: their right to determine their own educational and cultural affairs as provided in the Chinese Constitution as well as the Regional National Autonomy Law and to immediately halt the closure of Tibetan language schools and imposition of Chinese medium education.
We thank you.
Click here to watch the delivery of the statement in the plenary.
IFOR has submitted, in collaboration with its affiliate Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a written thematic statement to the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council. This document, titled “Human Rights in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China and Other Tibetan Populated Areas in China ", has been received by the Secretary-General and has been circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31. It is registered officially on the UN website as A/HRC/51/NGO/151 and is available here.
Learn more about TCHRD here and more about their recent activity at the UN, here.