BERLIN—The International Campaign for Tibet calls on the German EU Presidency to focus on the situation in Tibet in relations with China and to address the silence about the devastating human rights situation on the Tibetan Plateau.
The organization proposes five concrete action points, the implementation of which will allow the European Union to actively contribute to improving the situation in Tibet.
The five action items were sent to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and will be presented on June 30 as part of an online discussion [June 30, 3:00 pm, on “Facebook Live”: https://www.facebook.com/SAVETIBETde] with Members of Parliament Gyde Jensen from the German Bundestag and Raphael Glucksmann from the European Parliament.
Germany takes over the EU Council Presidency on July 1.
Five action points
The German EU Council Presidency should:
- Publicly and vigorously demand the Chinese government respect the civil and political rights of Tibetans, who are subjected to a system of torture, arbitrary detention and restriction of freedom of expression, religion and assembly
- Demand the respect of religious freedom for all Tibetan Buddhists, including those outside Tibet, and the right of Tibetan Buddhists to decide the succession of the Dalai Lama without interference from the Chinese government
- Urge unfettered and reciprocal access to Tibet for UN experts as well as foreign diplomats, parliamentarians, journalists and non-governmental organizations
- Urge sustainable development and climate-related policies on the Tibetan Plateau that respect the rights of Tibetans and do not lead to mass forced settlement of Tibetan nomads, poverty and cultural uprooting.
- Actively support the resumption of Tibetan-Chinese dialogue.
ICT quotes
ICT Germany Executive Director Kai Mueller:
“The human rights situation in Tibet is still deeply worrying. The Chinese Communist Party has intensified its repressive measures under Xi Jinping. Tibet is actually a police state today, and the control and surveillance measures developed there are replicated in Xinjiang.
“Since Beijing prevents unfettered access to the country, Tibet stands for a muted crisis hidden from the world. Critical voices are silenced. The country is largely isolated, uncensored information rarely leaks out. Overshadowed by other crises in the People’s Republic, Beijing has strictly controlled all areas of society. The consequences are devastating. The silence on it from Beijing has to be broken.”
ICT EU Policy Director Vincent Metten:
“The EU should use its political capital and reject the ‘alternative government model’ that the CCP is promoting, including in Tibet. Europe is based on shared values that are universal. The Chinese Communist Party openly attacks this universality and undermines the international human rights protection system. Europe’s inaction on Tibet has also helped encourage the Chinese government to commit further breaches of international law, such as in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Europe should implement robust, consistent and ambitious EU policies on China and Tibet. We call on the German government to stand up for the rights of millions of Tibetans.”
The briefing “Addressing the muted crisis in Tibet: Five Points of Action for the German EU Presidency” can be found here.