Credit: Freedom House
China’s ruling Communist Party (CCP) government, concentrates local decision-making power in Tibet in the hands of party officials who deny fundamental rights to residents of both Han Chinese and Tibetan ethnicity, says Freedom House. But the authorities are especially rigorous in suppressing any signs of dissent among Tibetans, including manifestations of Tibetan religious beliefs and cultural identity, it notes in the group’s latest Freedom in the World survey:
The Chinese government used its Zero-COVID policy to further its repressive campaign on Tibetans. COVID-19 outbreaks during the year reportedly led to the mass transfers of thousands of people to overcrowded and unsanitary isolation centers, where detainees reported lacking access to food and medical treatment, and where individuals who tested positive for the virus were housed with individuals who tested negative.
In September, reporting from the civil society organization Citizen Lab claimed that the Chinese government had collected genetic material from nearly a third of the population in Tibet, without clearly obtaining consent from those involved, Freedom House adds. The CCP has used genetic materials collected from Uyghurs in Xinjiang to further its surveillance systems and forced ethnic change campaign in the region.
Secretary Sonam Dorjee, NED President Damon Wilson, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Pema Tulotsang and Mona Dave. (L to R). Credit: Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile
Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration held a series of meetings with high-level foreign delegates visiting Dharamshala as official guests for the commemoration of Tibetan National Uprising Day tomorrow, the CTA adds.
Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel with NED President Damon Wilson at the Parliament Hall. Credit: Tibetan Parliament in Exile
Damon Wilson, President & CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), reaffirmed NED’s commitment to supporting the Tibetan democratic movement on a visit to the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, accompanied by NED colleagues Pema Tulotsang and Mona Dave (above).
The U.N.’s new human right chief said his agency has documented China’s arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and the separation of children from their families in comments during a global update on human rights on Wednesday in Geneva, RFA reports:
Volker Türk, who took over last September, said his office has opened up channels of communication with various actors to follow up on human rights issues in China, including the protection of minorities such as Uyghurs, Tibetans and other groups…. The United Nations and Western governments have remained steadfast in their condemnation of China over its harsh policies affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hongkongers, though Beijing has angrily denied accusations of abuses and continued maintaining an iron grip on them.
“In the Xinjiang region, my office has documented grave concerns, notably large-scale arbitrary detentions and ongoing family separations and has made important recommendations that require concrete follow-up,” he said.
NED was honored to meet with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamshala today. Thanks for hosting and for sharing inspiring messages about human connection and the need for peace in the world. @NetTibet https://t.co/cpljDWfGXL
— NEDemocracy (@NEDemocracy) March 10, 2023
