At the ongoing 38th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland, the European Union and Germany raised the human rights situation in Tibet while reiterating their calls for the release of Tashi Wangchuk, the Tibetan language rights advocate who was wrongfully sentenced to five years imprisonment earlier this month.
On Wednesday, during the procession of general debate under “Item 4: Human right situations that require the Council’s attention,” the delegates from Germany and the EU tabled their concerns of human rights violations by China and the “massive infringements on the freedoms of religion, expression and association, and the right to a fair trial.”
According to a Twitter post by ICT-Germany, the EU reiterated “its call for China to abide by its international obligations and respect freedom of religion or belief and expression and the rights of persons belonging to ethnic minorities.” Expressing concern over detentions and trials of human rights defenders and lawyers, including Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk, the EU urged China to release “all detained human rights defender and to thoroughly investigate reported cases of mistreatment and torture while in detention.”
Reinforcing its call for human rights defenders’ freedom, German delegate urged China “to close all re-education camps, to immediately release all human rights defenders” including Tashi Wangchuk, “and to fully cooperate with the UN Special Procedures.”
Both Germany and EU has continuously remained apprehensive over Tashi Wangchuk’s case since his arbitrary detention and repeatedly pressed China on Tibet’s human rights situation.
Germany delegate also shared their concerns about “China’s deteriorating human rights situation, in particular concerning the Uyghurs, and other Muslim minorities, facing widespread discrimination and detention, as well as other ethnic and religious minorities, including Tibetans.”
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein opened the session on June 18 the last session of the HRC before his mandate ends this fall. The 38th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to conclude in a week’s time on July 6.
– Report filed by UN, EU and HR desk, DIIR –