COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Fifty-fourth session

Provisional agenda item 18

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECLARATION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF INTOLERANCE AND OF DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RELIGION OR BELIEF

QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN TIBET

Written statement by Transnational Radical Party, a non-governmental organization in consultative status - Category I

1. The question of religious freedom is not only an issue of individual freedom but also that of collective rights. This is particularly true in the case of a people when they struggle to preserve an ancient religious tradition faced with policies of a totalitarian ruler who attempts to eradicate it. In such situations, the denial of religious freedom violates both individual and collective rights because the ultimate aim of the regime is to destroy the very basis of a rich cultural heritage of a people. This reality exists in Tibet today.

2. The Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, a subordinate body of the Commission on Human Rights, in its resolution on Tibet 1991/10 of 23 August, 1991, expressed its concern "at the continuing reports of violations of fundamental human rights and freedoms which threaten the distinct cultural, religious and national identity of the Tibetan people." In recent years, UN Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, the UN Committee on the Eliminat ion of Racial Discrimination and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child have all expressed concern on the denial of religious liberties in Tibet.

3. Since the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur to Tibet in November 1994, the Chinese authorities have carried out new policies to curtail religious freedom in Tibet. Although religious freedom is supposedly guaranteed under China's constitution, the Chinese authorities now even say that they want to transform Tibet into an atheist region.

4. For example, on 26 November 1996, Xizang Ribao, an official Chinese newspaper in Tibet said: "...the influence of religion and traditional concepts are especially serious. Some cadres and people, instead of fostering lofty communist ideals, regard religious belief as their spiritual pillar; they have no faith in that only under the communist party's leadership and by taking the socialist road can a free, happy life become a reality, but regard turning of the wheel (of Tibetan Buddhism) and burning the incense as the "magic medicine" for freeing oneself from suffering; they do not rely on science and civilisation to transform the objective world, but use religion or superstitious ideas to obstruct the exploitation and utilisation of resources; they do not use their wisdom and strength to serve the community and benefit the people, but waste their precious time to pursue the illusory next life; they do not use the limited financial resources to de velop production, shake off poverty and become well off, but

generously donate them to lamaseries; and they do not let their children receive modern education and become useful people of the country but send them to lamaseries to become monks and nuns."

5. The Chinese authorities launched an unprecedented anti-Dalai Lama campaign after holding the "Third National Forum on Work in Tibet" at Beijing in 1994. Vitriolic attacks on the Dalai Lama subsequently appeared in materials used for political education and in January 1995, the campaign was publicly launched in the official media. By this time what was unusual was not the violence of the language used, but the fact that it criticised the Dalai Lama on religious rather than political grounds. For the first time since 1979, Beijing attacked his religious creditability and suitability for leadership: "The purpose of Buddhism is to deliver all living creatures in a peaceful manner. Now the Dalai and his clique have violated the religious doctrine and even have spread rumours to fool and incite one people against the other, in what way can he be regarded as a spiritual leader? ...As for Dalai, he has always incorporated "Tibet Independence" into the doc trines which he preaches in his sermons,... wildly attempt

ing to use godly strength to poison and bewitch the masses... Such flagrant deceptiveness and demagoguery constitute a blasphemy to Buddhism."

6. In a further attempt to alienate the Dalai Lama from his people and followers of Tibetan Buddhism in this world, on 26 January 1996, an order was issued by the Department of Culture of the so-called "Tibet Autonomous Region" to remove all photographs of the Dalai Lama from Norbulingka and the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The ban was eventually extended to all public institutions and private homes in Tibet.

7. For instance, on 7 May 1996, a Chinese "work team" (gongzuo dui) arrived at Gaden monastery near Lhasa, tasked with removing all photographs of the Dalai Lama. The monks refused to co-operate, sparking off a riot. When Chinese armed security personnel raided the monastery, one monk, Kelsang Nyendrak, died after being shot and five other monks, including 14-year-old Gelek Jinpa, received bullets wounds. 85 to 90 monks were arrested. On 3 June 1997, Xizang Ribao, Chi nese official newspaper said that 14 of these monks were sentenced in 1996 as "criminals" who incited "monks to shout reactionary slogans, organising illegal demonstrations, smashing up a police sub-station, beating up state functionaries, stubbornly following Dalai clique, (and) vainly attempting to smash up the motherland."

8. In April 1996, China launched the "Strike Hard or Crack Down Severely On Crimes" campaign, targeted at crushing corruption and crime. Within Tibet Chinese authorities had this campaing to focus on "splittists" - individuals who support Tibetan freedom and the leadership of the Dalai Lama. The main sub-campaign of "Strike Hard" within Tibet is the so-called "Patriotic Re-education Campaign" and followed from earlier campaigns, such as that of banning photographs of the Dalai Lama, which aimed to stifle politically restive monks and nuns.

9. The re-education campaign was conducted by work teams who entered monasteries and nunneries to force monks and nuns to renounce Tibetan Independence; His Holiness the Dalai Lama; Gedhun Choeyki Nyima, the Panchen Lama. At Drepung Monastery near Lhasa, for example, 180 communist cadres were involved in the re-education sessions which began on 1 August 1996.

10. Human rights groups and other sources report more than 165 arrests and at least two deaths since China launched the campaign in monasteries and nunneries in Tibet. Twenty four of the arrests were a direct result of monks questioning a work team's form of education. Tenchok Tenphel, a 27-year-old monk, was reportedly arrested at Sakya Monastery on 1 September 1996 in front of a re-education session. He died on 14 September at Sakya District Prison. Although the Chinese aut horities said that he died by "committing suicide", Tibetans allege that he had died as a result of torture in prison.

11. Another grave consequences from the above mentioned campaign in Tibet is the expulsion of monks who refused to accept this Chinese policy. According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in India, 2.827 monks and nuns were expelled in 1996 and 1997. Many of the expelled monks and nuns fled to India and Nepal in recent months. "Those with a bad attitude to the studying and those with poor results or deliberately causing obstacles to the study will be severe ly criticised and their right to remain among the number of monks will be struck out," said an official notice handed to each monk at Sera monastery in mid-June 1996.

12. Two different ID-cards are being issued to monks and nuns in following the "re-education campaign". The holder of the red ID-card is considered a permanent, "official" member of the monastery or nunnery who has completed satisfactorily the "patriotic re-education" session and enjoy special privileges. The holder of the blue ID-card is considered to be a temporary monks or nun who has been admitted by the monastery or nunnery without the approval of the Democratic Management Committee and does not enjoy all the privileges. Holders of this card are placed on travel restrictions to within the region of domicile with the holder having to subsequently "prove loyalty to the nation" to obtain the red ID-card.

13. As regard the incommunicado detention of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Eleventh Panchen Lama of Tibet, China after more than a year of denials, finally admitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of Child and the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (in May-June 1996), that the boy was in Beijing's custody. However, China continues to fail to declare publicly the whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his parents. The Transnational Radical Party supports the decis ion of the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances (E/CN.4/1997/34) that China provide the Working Group with documents supporting its claim that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his parents had appealed to the Government for protection and at present are "leading normal lives and enjoying perfect health."

14. The April 1997 announcement of the sentencing of Chadrel Rinpoche, the former acting-abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, the seat of the Panchen Lamas in Shigatse, to six years of prison term for "leaking state secrets" is a clear proof that he was under incommunicado detention for the past more than two years. When reports of his arrest reached the outside world, China told reporters that Chadrel Rinpoche was sick and hospitalised. The whereabouts of Chadrel Rinpoche is still unknown after his arrest on 17 May, 1995. Some reports say that he is being detained at a top-secret cell in Chuandong No.3 Prison in Dazu district in Sihcuan province. Chadrel Rinpoche and his associates were imprisoned primarily because they defended Gedhun Choekyi Nyima as the reincarnation of the Tenth Panchen Lama.

15. The situation in Tibet clearly indicate that the Chinese authorities continue to impose severe restrictions on freedom of religion and that the overall situation of human rights there has deteriorated. The Transnational Radical Party urges 54th Commission on Human Rights to pay a closer attention to the deteriorating situation of religious freedom in Tibet. We call upon the Commission member-countries to adopt a resolution to censure China for its human rights failures.