UN Tibetan Torture Report CoverOn 20 September, the International Campaign for Tibet released a Tibetan translation of a UN human rights report related to the 2005 fact-finding mission to the Peoples Republic of China by Mr. Manfred Nowak, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture. The report, “Breaking the Will: The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture’s 2005 China Mission Report”, was released at a briefing at the UN in Geneva on the same afternoon as Mr. Nowak presented the mission report in person to the UN Human Rights Council.

Ms. Tsering Jampa, Executive Director of Amsterdam-based International Campaign for Tibet Europe said that the main purpose of the publication was to ensure that more Tibetans, especially in Tibet, have access to the UN report. The publication is a compilation of Tibet-related information from the UN report in three languages, Tibetan, English and Chinese. Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy did the Tibetan translation.

The briefing, “Torture in China: State Implementation of Special Procedures’ Recommendations,” was addressed by Ms. Phuntsok Nyidron, Ms. Sharon Hom, Executive Director of Human Rights in China, Mr. Eric Sottas, Executive Director of World Organisation against Torture and Ms. Tsering Jampa. The briefing examined State’s cooperation with special procedures of the UN, as well as implementation of their recommendations, within the context of China Mission Report of the Special Rapporteur on Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, issued in 2006.

Breaking the Will: The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture’s 2005 China Mission Report is a compilation of information from the UN report on the use of Torture in China, including in Tibet. The report is available in two versions: