Date: March 25, 2008
Geneva, Switzerland
Reported by Ngawang Choephel
Tibet UN Advocacy
Geneva, Switzerland
17 March 2008
H. E. Ambassador Doru-Romulus Costea
President of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Palais des Nations
1211 GENEVA 10
cc. Members of the Human Rights Council
Sub: Appeal for a Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on
the Human Rights Situation in the People’s Republic of China
Your Excellency,
The undersigned 65 Non-Governmental Organisations in the Asian region call upon the UN Human Rights Council to hold a Special Session on the current human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China.
We welcome that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed her
concern on the Tibetan people’s situation and urged “the Government of China to allow
demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly, to refrain from any excessive use of force while maintaining order, and to ensure those arrested are not ill-treated and are accorded due process in line with international standards.”
Following her recommendations, we would like to appeal to Council members to address the ongoing gross human rights violations against Tibetans with regards to their right to life, freedom of expression and assembly, among others. We also urge the members to seriously look into the cases of violent crackdown on a series of peaceful demonstrations in the “Tibet Autonomous Region” and Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan provinces in China.
In this respect, we urge the High Commissioner to send a fact-finding mission equipped
with full access to all the Tibetan areas where there had been extrajudicial or summary
killings, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances since 10 March, when the current wave of demonstrations began. Judging from the information available to us regarding the scale of the ongoing human rights violations against the Tibetan people, including the reported deaths of 80 Tibetans, it is imperative that the Human Rights Council as the principal human rights organ of the United Nations take urgent measures by convening a special session to address the current situation in China.
We are of the opinion that the current situation in Tibetan areas is very similar to Burma, where peaceful demonstrators were also attacked by the authorities, and on which
this Council took action in September 2007. We urge the Council to swiftly call upon the Chinese authorities to receive a joint mission of Special Procedures mandate-holders on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution and other relevant mandates such as the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Representative of Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders.
We remain at your disposal for any further information or consultation on this urgent matter.
Thank you very much for your attention to this appeal.
Yours sincerely,
Anselmo LEE
Executive Director
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
On behalf of
1. Ain O Salish Kendra
2. Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI)
3. Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)
4. ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC)
5. Association of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ Policies (ATIPP)
6. Association of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ College (ATIPC)
7. Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR)
8. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
9. Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN)
10. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)
11. Cambodian Human Rights and Development (ADHOC)
12. Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICHADO)
13. Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE)
14. Center for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), Mongolia
15. Center for Social Action, Research, Training and Documentation (ADHIKAR)
16. Citizens’ Council for Human Rights, Japan
17. Community Trust Fund (CTF)
18. Earth Peoples
19. Era Consumer
20. Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB)
21. Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines
22. Friends’ Association for Rural Reconstruction (FARR)
23. Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)
24. Globe International
25. Human Rights and Justice (HAK Association)
26. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
27. Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB)
28. Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (IMPARSIAL)
29. Indonesian Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)
30. Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)
31. Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Foundation (PBHI)
32. Information Monitor (INFORM)
33. Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC)
34. International Center for Law in Development
35. International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID)
36. Justice System Monitoring Program (JSMP)
37. Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS)
38. Lao Human Rights Council
39. Law and Society Trust (LST)
40. Legal Resources for Social Action (LRSA)
41. Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA)
42. National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Pakistan
43. Non-Violence International Southeast Asia
44. Odhikar - Bangladesh
45. Paralegal Training and Service Center (PTSC)
46. Panglilingkod Batas Pangkapapatiran Foundation (PBPF)
47. Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC - Asia Pacific
48. People’s Empowerment for Strong Civil Society
49. People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)
50. People’s Watch- India
51. Philippines Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)
52. PILIPINA Legal Resources Center
53. Resource Integration Center
54. Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN)
55. Society for Threatened Peoples International
56. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
57. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)
58. Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)
59. Taiwan Indigenous Peoples (NGOs) Alliance
60. Tanggol-Kalikasan
61. The Federation of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KONTRAS)
62. Think Center
63. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)
64. Women’s Welfare Society (WWS)
65. Yayasan Anak Merdeka Indonesia
For more information, please contact:
- Mr. Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA
Tel: +66-(0)2-391-8801 / Email: [email protected]
- Ms. Giyoun Kim, UN Advocacy Programme Manager, FORUM-ASIA
Tel: +41-(0)79-595-7931(Mobile) / Email: [email protected]
- Ms. Yuyun Wahyuningrun, East Asia Programme Manager, FORUM-ASIA
Tel: +66-(0)87-991-4451(Mobile) / Email: [email protected]
Paris, France - More than 1,000 gathered in front of the Chinese embassy in Paris. A massive protest took place. More candle light vigils to take place.
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Dharamsala - Tsuklakhang
From 10AM onwards, approximately 4, 000 Tibetans and non-Tibetans congregated at Tsuklakhang to participate in today's silent march.
Deputy speaker Dolma Gyari addressed the audience and commenced the silent march.
At 10AM this morning, Mr. Shanta Kumar, former Chief Minister of Himachal, the present member of Rajyasabha and also the senior Vice President of the BJP; along with other dignitaries, Mr. Ajay Singh Mankotia, the president of Indo-Tibetan Friendship; Mr. Sunil Manocha, the President of Bharat Tibet Sahyog Manch (BTSM); Mr. Prem Sagar, President of Himalayan Pariwer Dharamsala; and Tibetan Deputy Speaker Gyari Dolma la, Chithue Thupten Phelgye and many other prominent leaders of local Indian associations attended today's silent march procession. Furthermore, all speakers sincerely extended their solidarity to the victims of ongoing crisis inside Tibet and expressed their deep sadness at the human tragedy taking place in Tibet. Mr. Shanta Kumar committed to raise the current issue of Tibet and appeal to the Indian Central government to put concrete pressure on China. All speakers' determination conveyed their abiding support.
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Leh Ladakh - The fifth day of indefinite chain hunger strike continued at Ladakh main bazaar.Fifty participants are involved in this hunger strike. Mr. Tsering Lakjor 79 year old is the oldest participants.
Ladakh Himalayan Action Committee for Tibet continued their Hunger strike also with around 25 members of the same committee. Their main objective is to show solidarity to all the Tibetan and their cause. Secondly, the hunger strikers demand India to intervene and promote a peaceful and meaningful dialogue between Chinese leaders and His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. (Reported by Chemey Lhundup)
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New Delhi - MONDAYS IN BLACK- Mourning the Chinese Crackdown in Tibet at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, India.
The Delhi Tibetan Solidarity Group comprising of all the 10 major Tibetan NGOs and Association mourned the Chinese crackdown with raising 15 black flags symbolizing the 15th day of brutal repression by the Chinese authorities in Tibet. In addition, every protestor wore black arm band as a protest against the violent clampdown.
Thousands of Tibetan and Indian protestors gathered at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, India to observe BLACK MONDAY. Protestors gathered from early in the morning and the main program started around12. Leaders of the major Indian Tibet Support Groups gave speeches in condemnation of the killings and arrests inside Tibet and in solidarity with the Tibetan movement.
After the speeches, a Mock Play was staged in the middle of the gathering to depict the current situation in Tibet. This was followed by 15 volunteers shaving their heads as a symbolic of the 15th day of protest inside and outside Tibet.
The 24 hour relay hunger strike and candle light vigils started from March 15th in protest of Chinese brutalities and in support of the Tibetan struggle inside Tibet. All the Tibetan businesses have remained closed since 14th of March and will remain closed till the 31st March, 2008.
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Nepal - 50 more Tibetan protestors arrested
At least 50 Tibetan exiles, mostly monks, were rounded up by the police while they were organizing what was meant to be a peaceful protest in front of the visa-issuance section of the Chinese Embassy in Hattisar of Kathmandu, Tuesday.
The demonstrators chanted slogans against what they called the Chinese occupation of Tibet and 'genocide' going on there during their protests against Chinese government's clampdown on 'pro-independence' demonstrators in Lhasa which have left about 130 people dead, according to exiled Tibetan leaders.
The peaceful protests soon turned into a scuffle between the police and Tibetan protestors after the latter refused to move away from the site which falls on the restricted zone where all kinds of protests and demonstrations have been prohibited. Police later rounded up the demonstrators by charging at them with batons but avoided injuring anybody. The demonstrators were then forcibly put into vans and taken away from there.
On Monday, police had rounded up around 250 Tibetans while the latter were organising peaceful demonstrations in various parts of Kathmandu. About a dozen of them were also injured when police resorted to baton charge after the protest turned unruly.
Police said all the arrested were later released in the evening.
Tibetan refugees have been carrying out a series of demonstrations in the Nepali capital since March 10. nepalnews.com March 25, 2008