"Thank you, Chairperson,

The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) is an organisation representing member organisations from more 100 countries in this world. In this statement today, we wish to inform the Commission about the realities of the human rights situation in Chinese-occupied Tibet. In his 10 March Statement this year, the Dalai Lama described the current policies of the Chinese authorities in Tibet as "narrow-minded and reveal the ugly face of racial and cultural arrogance and a deep sense of political insecurity." The Dalai Lama also said that "the development concerning the flights of Agya Rinpoche, the Abbot of Kumbum Monastery, and more recently Karmapa Rinpoche are cases in point. However, the time has passed when in the name of national sovereignty and integrity a state can continue to apply such ruthless policies with impunity and escape international condemnation."

For the past many years, thematic mechanisms of this Commission have regularly documented evidence that the human rights situation in Tibet is getting worse. Yet the Commission on Human Rights has been prevented from adopting a resolution on China. Last year one delegation, while supporting Chinaís "no-action" motion, remarked that to single out one country or group of countries for criticism in the absence of persistent egregious violations was not productive. Let us therefore look at the realities in Tibet today:

i) Since the visit of the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance to Tibet in 1994, the Chinese authorities have banned the public display of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's photograph and jailed the 10-year-old Panchen Lama of Tibet at an undisclosed location. Beijing now wants to transform Tibet into an "atheist" region and since 1996 more than 11,000 monks and nuns were expelled for opposing China's "patriotic re-education" campaign at monasteries and nunneries. In view of this situation, we urge the Chinese authorities to receive the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance for a follow-up visit at an early date.

ii) Since 1988, i.e., after China ratified the UN Convention Against Torture, the deaths of 69 known Tibetan political prisoners as a direct result of torture have been recorded in Tibet. The Special Rapporteur on Torture of this Commission continues to express concern on the persistent use of torture or degrading methods in Tibet. Every year Tibetan political prisoners are dying as a consequences of torture. In this respect, IUSY appeals to the Special Rapporteur on Torture not to ignore Tibet during the official mission to China this year.

iii) In December 1999, there were 615 known Tibetan political prisoners in Chinese prisons according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy based in India. One of them is Ngawang Choephel, a Tibetan ethnomusicologist sentenced in 1996 to 18 years in prison on charges of espionage. The Chinese Government recently admitted that he has developed symptoms of bronchitis, pulmonary infection, and hepatitis. In May 1999, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in an opinion categorised his detention as "arbitrary" being in contravention with international human rights standards. Since 1996 China has refused the numerous requests for a visa by his mother to visit him in prison.

Chairperson, these trends of persistent egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Tibet cannot be ignored by member countries of this Commission. When the Commission fails to act and help put an end to the human rights violations in Tibet and China, the Commission only encourages China to commit more violations. We believe, the Commission should not choose such a path as we enter the 21st century.

In conclusion, the IUSY urges this Commission to adopt a resolution on China for committing gross and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Tibet. We, of course, endorse the conduct of bilateral or multilateral dialogue on human rights with China. But when, as the evidence shows, such dialogue brings no tangible results for the people on the ground is only used by China as a means to avoid censure by this Commission, we believe it is essential for this Commission to speak out plainly and to take action. The adoption of such a resolution on China will send a clear message to all the political prisoners held by the Chinese authorities that the international community is hearing their call.

Thank you, Chairperson.

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Last updated: 30-Mar-2000