At the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has once again highlighted the worrying pattern of enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests in Tibet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his statement on 19 September 2023 on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, ICT Germany Director Kai M\u00fcller called on the member states of the Human Rights Council to urgently demand information from the Chinese government about the whereabouts and well-being of disappeared Tibetans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe welcome the fact that the UN Working Group against Enforced Disappearance, at its 129th session and in its current report, has highlighted 16 cases of missing Tibetans. The member states of the Human Rights Council should urge the Chinese government in the upcoming China Review (UPR) in January to disclose the whereabouts of \u201cdisappeared\u201d Tibetans, to put an end to this deeply worrying pattern and to hold accountable those responsible for torture and ill-treatment in the Chinese state apparatus,\u201d<\/em> M\u00fcller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A day earlier, M\u00e9lanie Blondelle from ICT made another statement on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, pointing to so-called \u201clabor transfers\u201d and \u201clabor programs\u201d of the Chinese government for Tibetans. As early as July 2022, the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery had expressed concern about \u201clabor transfer programs\u201d also in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, which \u201cin many cases showed signs of forced labor, thus indicating the involuntary nature of the work performed by the affected communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blondelle also called on member states of the UN Human Rights Council to urge the Chinese government in the upcoming review of China (UPR) at the UN Human Rights Council to make information publicly available about so-called \u201clabor transfer and training programs\u201d in Tibetan areas and to allow Tibetans to refuse to participate in these programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Below is the statement delivered by Kai M\u00fcller on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Item 3: ID With the Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances<\/strong><\/p> We thank the Working Group for its report A\/HRC 54\/22 and its activities undertaken, in particular detailed in its report A\/HRC\/WGEID\/129\/1 on communications transmitted and cases examined. According to the report, during its 129th session, the Working Group raised the cases of 16 \u201cdisappeared\u201d Tibetans.<\/p> Tibetans are being persecuted and \u201cdisappeared\u201d when they peacefully express their opinions and beliefs, and when they protest against government policies. For example, Sherab Dorjee was arbitrarily detained on 16 August 2021 by the Chinese local police in Trotsik Township, Ngawa, Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture; it is believed that his detention was related to his involvement in student organizations and his opposition to the county government\u2019s mandatory Chinese language policy in his school.<\/p> Tibetans continue to fall victim to this deeply disturbing pattern of enforced disappearances. Those who have been abducted to unknown locations often face torture and ill-treatment, while their families do not know where they are, what exactly they are accused of, whether they have access to a lawyer or whether they will receive appropriate medical care.<\/p> We urge the members states of the Human Rights Council to use the upcoming UPR of China to urge the Chinese government to disclose the whereabouts of \u201cdisappeared\u201d Tibetans, to end this deeply concerning pattern and to hold accountable those responsible for torture or ill-treatment.<\/p> Thank you.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Below is the statement delivered by M\u00e9lanie Blondelle on behalf of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStatements<\/h4>\n\n\n\n