Dharamshala: “We would welcome the opening of Tibet to foreign tourists and the reported release of over 1000 Tibetans arrested following the recent wide spread unrest in the ‘Tibet Autonomous Region’ and outlying Tibetan areas,” said Kalon Kesang Y Takla, Kalon for the Department of Information and International of the Central Tibetan Administration.
Kalon Takla said: “At the same time, according to reliable reports, to our dismay, those detained face severe toruture and ill-treatment at the hands of prison officials reportedly with a view to extracting confession.”
She said: “We would therefore strongly urge the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with those allegedly involved in the recent protests and demonstrations and give a fair trial to those being accused.”
“Further, we also request for provision of adequate medical facilities to the injured Tibetans, including those living in remote, rural areas,” she added.
China’s state media reported Wednesday that Tibet has re-opened to foreign tourists after a gap of more than three months.
Tibetans have protested and continue to protest against the Chinese government’s repressive policies by staging peaceful demonstrations in many parts of the three traditional provinces of Tibet. The violent clampdown by the Chinese government resulted in hundreds of Tibetans dead, thousands arrested and injured.
China’s official Xinhua news agency reported last week that Chinese government has released 1,157 people, who were charged with minor offences. The Chinese government also claimed that defendants from minority ethnic groups were provided with interpreters at court sessions, which ensured their rights.
A few days before the Chinese government’s release of arrested Tibetans, London-based rights group, Amnesty International, reported over a thousand people detained without charge in the ‘Tibet Autonomous Region’ and the neighbouring Tibetan areas.
The report said hundreds of people languish in Chinese prisons for peacefully expressing their opinions, in appalling conditions and without their relatives even knowing where they are.