Geneva — At the 57th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Union expressed its concern about the serious human rights situation in Tibet, highlighted it’s concern on the Chinese boarding schools and the closure of Tibetan schools. The EU also urges China to allow more visits from the international community, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and civil society organisations to Tibet.
The European Union delivered its statement on Item 4: General debate on human rights situations that require the Council's attention, on September 24, 2024, in Geneva (Switzerland). The EU reiterates its concern about the very serious human rights situation in China, East Turkestan, Hong Kong and Tibet.
In presenting the human rights situation in Tibet, the EU stated: “the human rights situation in Tibet continues to be dire. Indicators of this include obligatory boarding schooling and DNA sampling, as reported by civil society organisations. The EU will closely monitor the preservation of the fundamental freedoms, cultural heritage and identity of Tibetans and calls on China to ensure full bilingual education both in Tibetan and Chinese at all levels of the schooling system. Cases of closure of schools teaching in Tibetan language are a worrying development. The EU also encourages China to allow more visits from the international community, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders and civil society organisations to Tibet.”
The EU also raises its concerns about the Chinese government's treatment of human rights activists, lawyers, journalists, writers and intellectuals, both in China and internationally. The EU stated: “Human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, other media workers, academics, writers and intellectuals among others continue to be exposed to harassment, intimidation and surveillance, including at transnational level. They are subjected to exit bans, house arrest, torture and ill-treatment, unlawful detention, sentencing and enforced disappearance including via Residential Surveillance in a Designated Location (RSDL) that could amount to torture and ill-treatment.”
The European Union condemns the Chinese Government's arrest and imprisonment of individuals and/or civil society organisations who seek to cooperate with the United Nations to promote and protect human rights in China and Tibet. The EU stated, “The EU condemns all reprisals against those individuals and/or civil society organizations who seek to cooperate with the United Nations to promote and protect human rights. The EU continues to urge China to abide by its obligations under national law, including its own Constitution, and international law, to respect, protect and fulfil the rule of law and human rights for all, including Uyghurs, Tibetans and other persons belonging to national or ethnic, linguistic, religious or other groups and minorities across China.”
The EU calls on Chinese government to release human rights defenders including Tibetan writer and Tibetan singer. It said, “The EU continues to closely monitor the situation and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights activists, among others, Gulshan Abbas, Anya Sengdra, Ekpar Asat, Chadrel Rinpoche, Chen Yunfei, Rahile Dawut, Ding Jiaxi, Ding Yuande, Gao Zhisheng, Go Sherab Gyatso, Golog Palden, He Fangmei, Huang Qi, Huang Xueqin, Hushtar Isa, Yalkun Isa, Li Yanhe, Peng Lifa, Qin Yongming, Qin Yongpei, Ruan Xiaohuan, Semkyi Dolma, Tashi Dorje, Tashpolat Tiyip, Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti, Wang Bingzhang, Wang Jianbing, Pastor Wang Yi, Kamile Wayit, Xu Na, Xu Qin, Xu Yan, Xu Zhiyong, Yang Henjung, Yang Maodong, Yu Wensheng, and Pastor Zhang Chunlei and Zhang Zhan, as well as EU citizen Gui Minhai whose right to consular access must be respected.”
The Chinese government arrests and imprisons Tibetans for simply expressing their human rights, there is no freedom of religion and language, China arrests Tibetans who keep photos and books of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, writing and praying for His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a crime. The Chinese government also separated Tibetan children from their parents, family members, culture and language, and forced them into Chinese colonial boarding schools to learn Chinese culture and the ideologies of the Chinese rulers. The Chinese government also arrests Tibetan teachers and writers and shuts down Tibetan schools with the aim of eliminating Tibetan culture, language, religion and identity.
