Geneva: 28 European countries have raised concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet in their joint statement at the ongoing 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 20 March 2025. The joint statement was read by honourable Miroslaw Broilo, Permanent Representative of Poland to the UN Office in Geneva. The joint statement was issued by 28 European Countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Honourable Miroslaw Broilo, in his oral statement noted, “We are concerned about the situation in China, in particular in Tibet and Xinjiang (East Turkistan) and the treatment of Human Rights defenders, lawyers and Journalists. China must refrain from Transnational Repression.”
In their written submission, the 28 European countries have reiterated their concerns about “the very serious human rights situation in China” and have urged China to “abide by its obligations under national law, including its own Constitution, and international law, to respect, protect and fulfil the rule of law and human rights for all.”
Raising specific concerns about the situation in Tibet, the countries noted that “the human rights situation in Tibet continues to be dire. Indicators of this include obligatory boarding schooling and the suppression of protests against hydropower projects. We are deeply concerned over reports that Tibetan schools teaching Tibetan language and culture have been shut down and that Chinese authorities have insisted that all students attend state schools where Tibetan is only taught as a stand-alone subject.”
The countries have also called for the immediate and unconditional release of Tibetan, Uighur and Chinese human rights defenders including Chadrel Rinpoche, Go Sherab Gyatso, Golog Palden, Semkyi Dolma and Tashi Dorje. The countries also urged China to facilitate the visitations of the High Commissioner and Special procedure mandate holders to Tibet.
Furthermore, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands and Switzerland have raised serious concerns about the ongoing human rights situation in Tibet through their individual member state oral statements during the general debate.
Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration at the Tibet Bureau-Geneva, Thinlay Chukki, has welcomed the joint statement by the 28 European countries and individual member state statements at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council Session. She thanked each of the member states for their unwavering support for Tibet. Representative Thinlay noted, “We thank each of the 28 European Countries for their joint statement and other member states for their individual statements highlighting the critical situation in Tibet. We urge the Chinese government to heed the calls of these many countries to stop the suppression of the Tibetan people, to unconditionally release all the Tibetan human rights defenders. It is of utmost importance that the Chinese government allows free and open access to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Procedure Mandate Holders to Tibet.”
-Report filed by Tibet Bureau Geneva
