European Parliamentarians Highlight Deteriorating Rights Situation in Tibet on Human Rights Day/ENG

2015. december 22./CTA/TibetPress

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BRUSSELS, Belgium: The members of the European Parliament issued a statement expressing serious concern on the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet on 10 December.

“As the world celebrates Human Rights Day today, we, Members of the European Parliament, would like to express our concern regarding the deteriorating situation of human rights in Tibet,” the statement said.

“Today, the oppressive crackdown on freedom of religion by the Chinese authorities and the shrinking environment for practicing Buddhism in Tibet are particularly alarming. China’s criminal law is being abused to persecute Tibetans and Buddhists, whose religious activities are equated with ‘separatism’, and the Chinese government has adopted a more pervasive approach to ‘patriotic education’, including measures to micromanage Tibetan Buddhist monastic affairs.”

“We are deeply worried by the endemic use of torture in Tibet and by the denial of access to medical care for prisoners, including late monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who died in Chinese captivity. Despite Chinese official assertions that China’s has adopted measures against torture, there are no indications of investigations into allegations of torture and mistreatment, let alone into cases of Tibetans who have been subjected to arbitrary detentions.”

“The recently drafted law on ‘counter-terrorism’, which facilitates the declaration of resistance to Chinese authorities as an act of terrorism, is just another expression of the broad range of suppression and human rights violations the Tibetans have to face in their own lands.”

“This deterioration of the human rights situation in Tibet has led to the self-immolations of at least 143 Tibetans since 2009. We deplore that the Chinese government, instead of addressing the causes which led to these extreme acts of political protest, has recently responded with even more pervasive actions by punishing those allegedly ‘associated’ with self-immolators, including friends, families and even entire communities. “

“The Chinese authorities are continuing their hardline policies against the Tibetan people, rejecting the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle Way Approach’ which seeks neither independence nor separation but a genuine autonomy within the framework of the Constitution of the PRC. We believe that this hardline approach, including the rejection of political dialogue between the parties, can only be counter-productive and damaging in the long-term, as it undermines chances of achieving a genuine stability and peaceful cohabitation.”

The EU Parliamentarians further urged the Chinese government to respect the freedom of expression, association and religion of the Tibetan people, and release all those detained for the mere reason of having exercised these rights; conduct impartial investigations on all allegations of torture and ill-treatment, in particular those resulting into deaths, and bring those responsible for such acts to justice; and re-enter as soon as possible into a meaningful and result oriented dialogue between representatives of the Chinese government and of the Dalai Lama.