UN officer highlights repression, cultural assimilation faced by Tibetans under China

 DHARAMSHALA: UN Advocacy Officer of the Tibet Bureau Kalden Tsomo has highlighted the continuous political repression, cultural assimilation, social discrimination, economic marginalization, and environmental destruction faced by the Tibetan people under China's control, as per Phayul.

Phayul is an English-language news portal that publishes news about Tibet and Tibet-in-exile. On the sidelines of the 53rd United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, the Office of Tibet-Geneva and the Society for Threatened Peoples joined forces to organize a side event focusing on China's ongoing repression in Tibet, titled "Tibetans Report on the Current State of Repression: 75 Years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights".

The event aimed to shed light on the human rights violations taking place in Tibet under Chinese control. Prominent speakers, including representatives from the Tibet Bureau and former political prisoners, addressed the audience.

At the event, Kalden Tsomo emphasized that despite 75 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), these violations persist in Tibet. Tsomo urged UN member states and the international community to come together and address China's human rights abuses in Tibet.

Phuntsok Nyidron, one of Tibet's longest-serving former female political prisoners, offered a first-hand account of the inhumane treatment and torture she suffered during her imprisonment from 1989 to 2004. She expressed concern over the worsening situation in Tibet, marked by increased repression and suppression of Tibetan culture, identity, and language.

Nyidron appealed for unwavering international support for Tibet and the release of political prisoners, attributing her ability to speak out against Chinese repression to the support she received from the international community. Furthermore, she called for global solidarity in realizing the aspirations of Tibetans for freedom and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet, as per Phayul.

Coordinator of the Tibet Advocacy Coalition, Gloria Montgomery, addressed the issue of forced residential boarding schools in Tibet. Referring to a research report by the Tibet Action Institute, she revealed that at least 900,000 Tibetan children between the ages of 6 and 18 have been forcibly separated from their families and communities and compelled to live in residential schools.

An estimated 100,000 four- and five-year-olds were separated from their parents, attending boarding schools for at least five days a week. Montgomery underscored the emotional, psychological, and cultural distress inflicted upon these children, calling for the immediate abolition of forced residential schools and the establishment of private Tibetan schools. She urged UN member states to echo the voices of UN treaty bodies and take concrete action.

The side event served as a platform to raise awareness about Tibet's critical issues and garner support for the cause. By shedding light on China's ongoing repression in Tibet, the speakers appealed for international solidarity and intervention to address the human rights violations endured by the Tibetan people. The event concluded with a renewed call for action and a shared commitment to upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights principles, as per Phayul. (ANI)

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