{"id":12749,"date":"2022-03-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/savetibet.nl\/nieuws\/tibet-at-the-49th-session-of-the-un-human-rights-council-round-up\/"},"modified":"2022-03-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-22T23:00:00","slug":"tibet-at-the-49th-session-of-the-un-human-rights-council-round-up","status":"publish","type":"nieuws","link":"https:\/\/savetibet.nl\/en\/news\/tibet-at-the-49th-session-of-the-un-human-rights-council-round-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Tibet at the 49th Session of the UN Human Rights Council: round-up"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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M\u00e9lanie Blondelle from ICT Europe, on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, delivers a statement at the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

At the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the International Campaign for Tibet\u2019s UN advocacy team have, on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, delivered four statements on Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statements have highlighted the deteriorating situation inside Tibet, in particular the continued attacks on human rights defenders, religious sites, the systemic use of torture and the need to ensure unfettered access to Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Commissioner\u2019s planned visit to China in May 2022<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

This first session of the Human Rights Council for 2022 has been focused on Ukraine as well as news of a planned visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to China in May 2022. During her regular oral update<\/a> on the activities of her Office and human rights developments, High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet announced that her office had \u201creached an agreement with the Government of China for a visit,\u201d which would include \u201consite visits to Xinjiang and other places.\u201d The International Campaign Tibet is calling on the UN High Commissioner to clarify the terms of her visit to China and to include Tibetan areas into a visit, which can only be meaningful if unfettered access is fully guaranteed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner, Vincent Metten from ICT Europe, on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, expressed \u201cdisappointment about the High Commissioner\u2019s silence on the worsening human rights situation inside Tibet\u201d and called for \u201cprompt, unfettered and independent access to all parts of the People\u2019s Republic of China, in particular Tibetan areas, by independent international human rights experts.\u201d Metten added, the High Commissioner\u2019s Office should also adopt \u201cremote reporting\u201d measures on Tibet in the absence of meaningful access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metten warned, \u201csilence by the Council only rewards and normalizes such repressive methods [used by China]. It signals to China that it is on track to decimate Tibetan culture with little international resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metten\u2019s statement was notably interrupted by a point of order by the Chinese delegation<\/a>, complaining that it was \u201cattacking the Communist Party\u201d and \u201cviolating relevant rules and regulations.\u201d The intervention was, however, unsuccessful, as the chairing Vice-President of the Human Rights Council allowed the statement to be continued. Another statement raising the situation in Tibet, delivered by the Society for Threatened Peoples, was also interrupted by a point of order from the Chinese delegation. ICT remains concerned about renewed attempts by the Chinese government to curtail freedom of speech and space for civil society at the Human Rights Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A representative from Germany gives his statement at the ongoing 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Interactive dialogues on torture and human rights defenders<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the remaining interactive dialogues with the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Special Rapporteur Human Rights Defenders, China did not make further interventions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Palmo Tenzin from ICT Germany, on behalf of HFHR, highlighted: \u201cTorture is routinely used to silence, permanently injure and even cause death when Tibetans have been arbitrarily detained for peacefully expressing their opinion or practicing their religion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She called on the Special Rapporteur to \u201cinvestigate the pattern of death by torture in Chinese detention\u201d and urged governments to refocus their energy on eliminating torture in countries, such as China, that are party to the Convention against torture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders\u2019 report, Vincent Metten raised the case of the human rights and environmental defender Anya Sengdra, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence<\/a> for advocating for nomad rights and challenging government corruption. Metten called on \u201cHuman Rights Council Members to press China to ensure that adequate medical treatment is granted to Anya Sengdra and to immediately release him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Item 4: General Debate on human rights situations that require the Council\u2019s attention<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Item 4 General debate is an opportunity for governments and civil society to highlight human rights situations that require the Council\u2019s attention. During the debate, M\u00e9lanie Blondelle from ICT Europe, on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, highlighted the recent attacks on Tibetan religion, education and Tibet\u2019s leading intellectuals. Blondelle cited the recent demolitions of Buddhist statues<\/a> and structures in Drango county, Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; the pervasive boarding school system used to disconnect Tibetan children from their families and communities; as well as the recent attacks on prominent writers, such as Go Sherab Gyatso and Rinchen Tsultrim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European Union raises cases of Rinchen Tsultrim, Go Sherab Gyatso and Dorjee Tashi<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

During the General Debate, 14 countries[1]<\/sup> and the European Union highlighted China as a human rights situation of concern. Seven countries raised the concerning situation in Tibet: Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The European Union raised Tibet in a written statement<\/a>, and notably called for the immediate and unconditional release of human rights activists, including Dorjee Tashi, Go Sherab Gyatso and Rinchen Tsultrim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine countries[2]<\/sup> urged China to grant the High Commissioner for Human Rights unfettered access on her planned visit to China in May 2022, while seven countries[3]<\/sup> and the European Union (in a written statement) called on the High Commissioner to release the findings of her remote monitoring report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 49th Session of the Human Rights Council is ongoing and will end on 1 April 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read the Item 4 statement by M\u00e9lanie Blondelle below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Human Rights Council
Forty-Ninth Regular Session
March 21, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Item 4: General Debate \u2013 Human rights situations that require the Council\u2019s attention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statement delivered by M\u00e9lanie Blondelle on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. President,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We remain deeply concerned about the systematic human rights violations against Tibetans. The Chinese government are erasing Tibetan identity by accelerating assimilation and consolidating political control. One by one, Chinese authorities have been targeting the foundations of Tibetan society: Tibetan religion, education, and its leading intellectuals. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n