Senator Premysl Rabas, the President of Czech Senate Parliamentary group for Tibet with Representative Thinlay Chukki, April 24, 2023. Photo: Tibet Bureau Geneva

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Geneva – The Senate of the Czech Republic adopted a resolution concerning Chinese colonial boarding schools for Tibetan children, the forced assimilation of Tibetan children in these schools and the Chinese government's interference in the religious freedoms of Tibetans. They call on the Chinese government to put an end to boarding schools for Tibetan children.

The Committee on Education, Science, Culture, Human Rights and Petitions of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic adopted a resolution concerning the forced assimilation of Tibetan children in boarding schools in the People's Republic of China and the Chinese government's interference in the religious freedoms of Tibetans on May 30, 2023, After introductory remarks by Committee Vice Chairman Přemysl Rabas and debate.

The resolution said, "The committee expresses its deep concern at the findings of the UN report of 6 February 2023 describing the systematic separation of Tibetan children from their families and their subsequent placement in Chinese residential schools."

"The committee Calls on the Chinese Government to move away from the practice of forcibly placing Tibetan children in residential schools and forcibly assimilating them, and instead to allow Tibetan children to remain in their family environment, to be educated in their native language and to develop Tibetan culture and tradition," the resolution stated.

The Czech Senate Committee has objected to the Chinese government's interference in the selection and recognition of the reincarnation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the resolution stated, "The committee expresses its opposition to the action of the People’s Republic of China regarding the reincarnation of the Tibetan Dalai Lama."

"The committee is concerned that the traditional practice of selecting and recognising the reincarnation of Tibetan clerics, including the Dalai Lama, has been disrupted and influenced by the intervention of the Chinese authorities This situation constitutes a serious obstacle to the freedom of religion and belief of the Tibetan people," the resolution added.

The commitment recommends to the Government of the Czech Republic, in its bilateral and international contacts with the People’s Republic of China, draw attention to these disturbing human rights violations and call on China to immediately stop the placement of Tibetan children in boarding schools and to respect the traditional practices associated with the reincarnation of Tibetan clerics.

Representative Thinlay Chukki of the Tibet Bureau-Geneva thanked the Committee, in particular the Committee's Vice-Chairman and President of the Czech Senate Parliamentary Group for Tibet, the Hon. Premysl Rabas, for tabling the resolution, which was discussed at her last meeting with the Senator. Representative Thinlay Chukki said: "The resolution, yet again, assures the Czech Republic’s strong solidarity and support for the pledge of the Tibetan people. We hope this will lead to concrete parliamentary resolutions in the Czech Parliament on these critical issues."