In the past twenty years, Chinese authorities have consistently reinforced their control over Tibet, reacting harshly to every sign of dissent in the region, including peaceful demonstrations. At the Human Rights Council today, 13 March 2008, the Society of Threatened Peoples presented a Joint NGO Statement on Tibet, calling for attention to China’s continuing disregard for Human Rights. Other NGOs, including UNPO, call on the Human Rights Council to put pressure on China as the Beijing Olympics draw near. 

The following is a statement addressed to the Human Rights Council by the Society of Threatened Peoples.

Since the imposition of martial law in Tibet from 8 March 1989 to 30 April 1990, the Chinese authorities have pursued a policy of "merciless repression" of even the slightest signs of Tibetan political dissent. Despite this climate, in the last four days reports have emerged of peaceful protests by monks of the Drepung and Sera monasteries, located on the outskirts of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital which led to the arrests of over 60 monks.  Various sources, including foreigners in Lhasa, indicate that the protests on Monday, 10 March [2008] involved as many as two to three hundred monks, and a smaller protest in central Lhasa by 14 monks and 2 Tibetan youths who were immediately arrested. Radio Free Asia reported that 500 to 600 monks continued protests on Tuesday and were confronted by over a thousand armed police and personnel of the Public Security Bureau (the police), who fired tear-gas at the protesters. These protests, now spreading to other areas with Tibetan monks in Qinghai and Gansu Provinces staging demonstrations, represent the largest by monks since the period of martial law.

Mr. President, the latest peaceful protests in Tibetan areas occur in the wider context of the overwhelming Tibetan discontent with China’s repressive policies. As is evident from the many Tibetan cases covered by the reports of the Special Procedures of this Council, China seeks to eliminate all dissenting opinion by Tibetans, creating a climate of fear and a culture of impunity.  The November 2007 sentencing of the Tibetan nomad, Ronggye Adrak, and three other Tibetans to a total of 30 years for peacefully expressing their views in defence of the aspirations of the Tibetan people is but one example.

Against this increasingly oppressive atmosphere in Tibet, a new report, "Tracking the Steel Dragon" released last month [February 2008] by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has documented the immediate impact of the Golmud-Lhasa railroad which shows that Beijing's policies on the Tibetan plateau are leading to a “second invasion” by accelerating  the influx of Chinese people - 1.5 million people traveled on the railway in its first year, and China admitted that most were businesspeople or workers, not tourists.  Although Chinese authorities control rural-urban migration to China's Eastern cities, the influx of Chinese into to Tibet remains totally unchecked, resulting in the exclusion of Tibetans from economic development to an extent where even some Chinese analysts believe Tibetan opposition risks undermining Beijing's ultimate goal of social stability.

We urge China to make sincere efforts to reverse the policies that continue to marginalize the Tibetan people and instead re-orientate its strategy towards the local integration and 'Tibetan-ising' of policy through the participation of Tibetans in decision-making in their own affairs.  We also call upon this Council to encourage Beijing to strengthen its current contacts with the Envoys of the Dalai Lama, and to enter into substantive negotiations towards achieving genuine autonomy for Tibetans.

Mr. President, the latest information from Tibet is that monks sealed off at Drepung and Sera monasteries have launched a hunger strike to demand the release of their colleagues.  Gaden monastery too has been sealed off after monks there demonstrated on 12 March[2008]. Yesterday, Radio Free Asia reported that two monks, named Kalsang and Damchoe, from Drepung monastery attempted suicide on Thursday [13 March 2008]. Sources said the men had stabbed themselves in the chest, hands, and wrists. One source told the Radio: "There are many other monks who hurt themselves in desperation, and protests are going on inside the monastery as of March 12 and 13 [2008]". Another source described the two monks' condition as critical and said they were not expected to survive.

In conclusion, Mr. President, as the world focuses its attention on the Beijing Olympics, we urge the Human Rights Council, especially its Special Procedures and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to condemn the use of force against Tibetans peacefully demonstrating their deep discontent, and to pay close attention to the links between the repressive political climate in Tibet and the impacts of centrally driven development policies that threaten the very survival of the cultural, religious and national identity of the Tibetan people.