(TibetanReview.net, Mar27’23) – China’s human rights record has been condemned by a number of countries at the ongoing 52nd triannual session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, with at least ten of them referring to the situation in occupied Tibet as well, according to a report of the Tibet Bureau, Geneva, posted on the Tibet.net Mar 27. They have called on China to abide by its obligations under international human rights laws.
Australia has expressed concern over the “erosion of educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights and freedoms in Tibet”.
Belgium has raised the disturbing development of “compulsory boarding schools and DNA sampling” in Tibet while expressing “deep concerns” over human rights violations by China.
Finland has said “evidence-based” rights violations by China in Tibet and other regions are “concerning” and reminded Beijing that “Universal human rights need to be guaranteed for all – including persons belonging to ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, human rights defenders, intellectuals and lawyers”.
Denmark has underlined the UN reports about Tibetan children being forcibly “separated from their families” and reiterated calls on China to abide by its obligations and to work with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Right.
Referring to the findings of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Switzerland has urged China to immediately end violations of human rights and release all human rights defenders arbitrarily detained, particularly in Tibet.
The United Kingdom has spoken of being “deeply” concerned by China’s disregard for universal human rights and urged it to “reverse oppressive policies in Tibet”. It has further highlighted concern over the recent UN report saying “one million Tibetan children were forcibly separated from their families to assimilate them into majority Han culture”.
The United States, while reiterating “deep concern” over rights violations and the ongoing “genocide and crimes against humanity” by China, has urged the human rights council to “maintain focus” on atrocities committed by it in Tibet and other regions, and also called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to “address them”.
Besides, Germany, Lithuania and Sweden too have expressed “serious” and “deep” concern over rights violations by China, including in Tibet.
Other countries that have expressed concern over China’s rights violations have included the European Union, Austria, Czech Republic, Iceland, Norway and Japan.
In his maiden oral update on the activities of his Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Volker Turk has announced that he had opened “channels of communication with a range of actors in the Chinese government to follow up on a variety of human rights issues” including protection of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other groups.
The UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlo has called China a “disaster when it comes to human rights defenders”. She has noted “shocking” cases of 15 human rights defenders jailed by China for longer than 10 years.