On this Human Rights Day, we call on the Chinese government to immediately put an end to its inhumane and brutal ‘zero-Covid’ policy, release all persons detained for criticizing the government mismanagement of Covid measures, adopt a human rights approach to Covid control and prevention, and fulfill its treaty obligations by ensuring that the most basic of human rights such as dignity, freedom, and justice are accessible to all. 

The news about Goyon’s release comes close on the heels of another major development: sentencing of six former Tibetan political prisoners, writers and public intellectuals on the trumped-up charges of "inciting separatism" and "endangering state security" in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

As reports emerged of massive protests staged by Chinese public against the government’s zero-Covid policy, sources in Tibet informed TCHRD about the discriminatory treatment and arbitrary detention of local Tibetans in the last three months in both Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas.

Information received by TCHRD confirms the detention of four known Tibetans, among them an elderly woman, for merely engaging in the Tibetan Buddhist practice of making financial offerings to Tibetan spiritual teachers or Lamas (‘The Superior One’ or ‘The Venerable One’).

To mark United Nations Day, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy launched a Tibetan guidebook on UN Human Rights Mechanisms to facilitate easy access for Tibetans in general, and to assist in the work of Tibetan advocates, human rights activists, and academics.

Chinese authorities detained five Tibetan men on the evening of 13 October in Golog (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo for Dalai Lama song on Chinese social media.

Joint open letter requesting the PRC to submit its state party report to the UN Committee against Torture without delay is on behalf of the people in the PRC, and human rights defenders worldwide.

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) represented by the executive director Ms Tsering Tsomo and senior program officer Ms Tenzin Dawa attended working sessions of the 51st Human Rights Council session including plenary meetings, negotiations of resolutions, side events, delivering oral statements, participating in informal meetings with partner NGOs, and exploring advocacy initiatives at the UN in Geneva.

China’s strict enforcement of its zero-Covid policy in central parts of Tibet has so far forced five Tibetans to commit suicide. Five people who died of suicide on 23, 24 and 25 September were from Lhasa Comprehensive Protective Tariff Zone no. 2(West Lhasa), the Bayi community (southwest Norbulingka), Lanting apartment (near Tibet University), and Gakyiling neighbourhood 3 (east of Lhasa).

TCHRD urges the Chinese authorities to guarantee human rights of all Tibetans particularly those who provide much-needed information about the pandemic situation and the challenges and hardships faced by local people. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of people prosecuted for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression and other human rights.

TCHRD calls on the Chinese authorities to ensure that the efforts to control the pandemic must be guided by the principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability, in addition to providing timely and proper assistance and support to the affected individuals and families in overcoming one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

Recognising the vital role of education and advocacy in producing an informed and independent public, TCHRD will launch a series of education and advocacy activities aimed both at creating awareness about Tibetan democracy in the international community, and at building a culture of democracy among the exile Tibetan community.