Following the precedence set by investigations launched into the state violence perpetrated against protesters in Burma last year, UNPO has joined with other non-governmental organizations in urging the UNHRC to hold a special session on the human rights situation as it exists in China today.

Appeal for a Special Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Human Rights Situation in the People’s Republic of China

The undersigned Non-Governmental Organisations in the Asian region call upon the UN Human Rights Council to hold a Special Session on the current human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China.

We welcome that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday [14 March 2008] expressed her concern on the Tibetan people’s situation and urged “the Government of China to allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly, to refrain from any excessive use of force while maintaining order, and to ensure those arrested are not ill-treated and are accorded due process in line with international standards.”

Following her recommendations, we would like to appeal to Council members to address the ongoing gross human rights violations against Tibetans with regards to their right to life, freedom of expression and assembly, among others. We also urge the members to seriously look into the cases of violent crackdown on a series of peaceful demonstrations in the “Tibet Autonomous Region” and Tibetan areas of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan provinces in China.

In this respect, we urge the High Commissioner to send a fact-finding mission equipped with full access to all the Tibetan areas where there had been extrajudicial or summary killings, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances since 10 March [2008], when the current wave of demonstrations began.

Judging from the information available to us regarding the scale of the ongoing human rights violations against the Tibetan people, including the reported deaths of 80 Tibetans, it is imperative that the Human Rights Council as the principal human rights organ of the United Nations take urgent measures by convening a special session to address the current situation in China.  We are of the opinion that the current situation in Tibetan areas is very similar to Burma, where peaceful demonstrators were also attacked by the authorities, and on which this Council took action in September 2007.

We urge the Council to swiftly call upon the Chinese authorities to receive a joint mission of Special Procedures mandate-holders on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary execution and other relevant mandates such as the Special Rapporteur on Torture, the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression and the Special Representative of Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders. 

Signed:

[…]

Anselmo Lee

Executive Director

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

On behalf of:

Ain O Salish Kendra

Alliance of Independent Journalist (AJI)

Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma)

ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus (AIPMC)

Association of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ Policies (ATIPP)

Association of Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ College (ATIPC)

Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR)

Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN)

Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM)

Cambodian Human Rights and Development (ADHOC)

Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICHADO)

Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE)

Center for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), Mongolia

Center for Social Action, Research, Training and Documentation (ADHIKAR)

Citizens’ Council for Human Rights, Japan

Community Trust Fund (CTF)

Earth Peoples

Era Consumer

Forum for Democracy in Burma (FDB)

Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines

Friends’ Association for Rural Reconstruction (FARR)

Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW)

Globe International

Human Rights and Justice (HAK Association)

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB)

Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (IMPARSIAL)

Indonesian Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)

Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)

Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Foundation (PBHI)

Information Monitor (INFORM)

Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC)

International Center for Law in Development

International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID)

Justice System Monitoring Program (JSMP)

Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS)

Lao Human Rights Council

Law and Society Trust (LST)

Legal Resources for Social Action (LRSA)

Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA)

National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP), Pakistan

Non-Violence International Southeast Asia

Odhikar - Bangladesh

Paralegal Training and Service Center (PTSC)

Panglilingkod Batas Pangkapapatiran Foundation (PBPF)

Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC - Asia Pacific

People’s Empowerment for Strong Civil Society

People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD)

People’s Watch- India

Philippines Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)

PILIPINA Legal Resources Center

Resource Integration Center

Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN)

Society for Threatened Peoples International

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)

Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP)

Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR)

Taiwan Indigenous Peoples (NGOs) Alliance

Tanggol-Kalikasan

The Federation of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims of Violence (KONTRAS)

Think Center

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO)

Women’s Welfare Society (WWS)