Berlin, 23.03.2023. Bei der 52. Sitzung des UN-Menschenrechtsrates in Genf forderte die International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) unter anderem erneut ein Ende der massenhaften Zwangsumsiedlungen tibetischer Nomaden und Hirten sowie Ende der Zwangsinternate für tibetische Kinder. Beide seien Ausdruck der Assimilationspolitik der chinesischen Regierung gegen die tibetische Sprache und Kultur. Dabei wies ICT-Geschäftsführer Kai Müller heute in einem Videostatement im Namen der Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights auf die „aggressive Entrechtung des tibetischen Volkes und die Aushöhlung seiner religiösen und kulturellen Rechte durch die chinesische Regierung“ hin.
Der UN-Sozialausschuss habe in seinen „Concluding Observations“ nach der Überprüfung Chinas die Sorge über „Berichte über die groß angelegte Kampagne zur Auslöschung der tibetischen Kultur und Sprache sowie die allgemeine Unterminierung der sprachlichen Identität von ethnischen Minderheiten durch die Assimilationspolitik“ durch die chinesiche Regierung geäußert und die sofortige Abschaffung des Systems von Zwangsinternaten für tibetische Kinder gefordert, so Kai Müller weiter in seinem Videostatement.
Einige Tage zuvor hatte Vincent Metten für ICT zwei weitere Statements im Namen der Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights vor dem UN-Menschenrechtsrat in Genf abgegeben und dabei erneut auf das „Muster von Folter und Misshandlung“ in Tibet und die Verfolgung tibetischer Umweltverteidiger durch die chinesische Regierung hingewiesen. „Tibeter werden willkürlich inhaftiert, weil sie friedlich ihre Meinung äußern oder ihre Religion ausüben, dabei wird regelmäßig Folter angewandt, um sie zum Schweigen zu bringen, dauerhaft zu verletzen und sogar zu töten. In diesem Zusammenhang wurde ein gefährliches Muster von Todesfällen aufgrund von Folter beobachtet, darunter der kürzliche Tod des 19-jährigen Mönchs Tenzin Nyima und des 51-jährigen Reiseleiters Kunchok Jinpa. Wir betonen, dass diese beiden Todesfälle, genauso wie viele weitere Todesfälle von Tibetern in Haft, zu keiner Zeit von den chinesischen Behörden untersucht oder die dafür Verantwortlichen dafür strafrechtlich belangt wurden“, so Vincent Metten weiter.
Ebenso äußerten sich Staatenvertreter, darunter Deutschland, Dänemark, Finnland, die Niederlande, Litauen, Schweden, die Schweiz, Australien Großbritannien und die USA, besorgt über die Menschenrechtssituation in Tibet. Die Europäische Union äußerte sich in ihrer schriftlichen Stellungnahme zu Tibet und forderte darin die sofortige und bedingungslose Freilassung der Tibeter Tashi Dorje, Rinchen Tsultrim und Go Sherab Gyatso, neben anderen von der chinesischen Regierung inhaftierten Uiguren und Chinesen.
Anhang: Drei Statements im Originaltext
- Item 4: General Debate – Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention
Statement delivered by Kai Müller on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Mr. President,
We remain deeply concerned by the Chinese government’s aggressive disenfranchisement of the Tibetan people through erosion of their educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights.
In its Concluding Observations on the third periodic report of China, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights expressed concerns about “reports of the large-scale campaign to eradicate Tibetan culture and language, as well as the general undermining of the linguistic identity of ethnic minorities by the assimilation policy of the State party, known as Sinicization, including the coercive residential (boarding) school system imposed on Tibetan children.”i
The Committee urged the Chinese government “to immediately abolish the coerced residential
(boarding) school system imposed on Tibetan children, as well as allowing private Tibetan schools to be established.”
The Committee furthermore reiterates its recommendation that China take all necessary measures to immediately halt non-voluntary resettlement of all nomadic herders, including Tibetan ones, from their traditional lands and non-voluntary relocation or rehousing programs for other rural residents, such as small-scale farmers.”
We strongly urge Member States to raise these concerns, bilaterally, multilaterally, and in the upcoming UPR process on China. The aforementioned policies are particularly urgent as they represent a substantial threat to the survival of the Tibetan people, as well as a violation of international law.
Thank you.
- Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Statement delivered by Vincent Metten on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Mr. Vice- President,
We thank the Special rapporteur for her report A/HRC/52/30 and welcome strengthened protocols around the world to ensure acts of torture are not met with impunity.
We are particularly alarmed by the continued and blatant use of torture against Tibetans by the People’s Republic of China. As concluded by the Committee Against Torture, “the practice of torture and ill treatment is still deeply entrenched in the criminal justice system.” Distressingly, this statement by the Committee on China from 2015 is still relevant today.
Torture is routinely inflicted to silence, permanently injure and even cause death when Tibetans are arbitrarily detained for peacefully expressing their opinion or practicing their religion. A dangerous pattern of death due to torture has been observed, including the recent deaths of 19-year-old monk Tenzin Nyima and 51-year old tour guide Kunchok Jinpa. We emphasize that in both cases, as with many others, an investigation into deaths in custody and a prosecution of those responsible for them was never undertaken by the Chinese authorities.
Given this pattern, we are concerned for the wellbeing of Dorjee Tashi, who is serving a life sentence for “loan fraud”. His testimony of torture endured while in Chinese detention reveals in concrete terms the pervasive culture of impunity.
We urge the Special Rapporteur on torture to investigate this pattern of death by torture during CCP detention. The international community must hold those responsible for acts of torture and abuse to account. We also call on all member states to refocus energies on eliminating torture, especially in countries, such as China, that are party to the Convention Against Torture.
Thank you.
- Item 3: ID With the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Statement delivered by Vincent Metten on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
Mr. President,
We thank the Special Rapporteur for her report A/HRC/52/29, and for acknowledging the importance of raising the difficulties faced by human rights defenders, while celebrating their successes.
We would like to draw the attention of the Council to the situation of Tibetan environmental defenders, who face increased persecution for their vital efforts to protect their distinct way of life, their lands and natural resources against extensive mining, damming and infrastructure projects.
In a report, the International Campaign for Tibet documented 50 environmental defenders detained arbitrarily, arrested, tried, and/or sentenced since 2008.[1] Of the 50 Tibetan environmental defenders’ cases surveyed:
- 21 are serving prison sentences with an average sentence length of 8.5 years.
- Five have completed their sentences, but it is not certain that all five have been released.
- The whereabouts of 20 individuals remain unknown. Four have died due to abuse by state agents: one fatally shot during a protest, and three died in custody.
Tibetan environmental defenders are critical for the protection of the fragile environment of the Tibetan plateau, and they should never be punished for their work.
We urge the Human Rights Council to press China to uphold and protect the rights of Tibetan environmental defenders – including their rights to freely express their opinion, associate, assemble and participate in decision-making – and to immediately release all those detained, among them prominent defenders Anya Sengdra and Karma Samdrup.
Pressekontakt:
Telis Koukoullis
Pressereferent
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 27 87 90 86
E-Mail: telis.koukoullis(at)savetibet.de
Twitter: @savetibet
International Campaign for Tibet Deutschland e.V.
Schönhauser Allee 163
10435 Berlin
www.savetibet.de
Die International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) setzt sich als weltweit größte Tibet-Organisation seit 30 Jahren für die Wahrung der Menschenrechte und das Selbstbestimmungsrecht des tibetischen Volkes ein. ICT unterhält Büros in Washington, D.C., Amsterdam, Brüssel und Berlin sowie ein Rechercheteam in Dharamsala, Indien.
