‘Abuses in Tibet include restricted freedom of religion’

New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): Raising the issue of human rights abuses in Tibet, the Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR), in its latest report, has revealed that various individuals and organisations working for the rights of Tibetan people have reported abuses of rights in Tibet that include restricted freedom of religion, belief and association.

The CDPHR report said that the arbitrary arrests, maltreatment in custody, including torture and forced abortion and sterilisation have also been reported.

“The issue of human rights in Tibet is much debated and contested due to lack of credible information allowed by the authoritarian communist Chinese administrative mechanism and the PRC regime. Various individuals and organisations working for the rights of Tibetan people have reported abuses of human rights in Tibet that include restricted freedom of religion, belief, and association,” the report said.

Slamming China, the report asserted that the communist government of China has come under criticism from the international community on the status of religion, mainly as it relates to figures that are both religious and political, such as the exile of the 14th Dalai Lama.

Additionally, the CDPHR said freedom of the press in China is absent, with Tibet’s media tightly controlled by the Chinese leadership, making it difficult to accurately determine the scope of human rights abuses.

On the issue of ‘crushing’ Chinese policies, the report said, “The communist Chinese policies of crushing any political dissent have gravely threatened the Tibetan political and cultural identity as they disregard to the international condemnation of the human rights situation in Tibet.””The PRC demonstrated no intention of following through on its international obligations. Despite signing and ratifying international agreements on human rights, the PRC has acted in contravention,” it added.

Noting the rights abuses in China, the CDPHR suggested that “it is important for the international community concerned for the protection of human rights to recognise the PRC’s betrayal of its international human rights obligations in defending and protecting of human rights in Tibet.”The rights group further said the world community has become increasingly reticent to discuss Beijing’s human rights violations at various international forums due to various intimidation tactics exerted by the communist government of China. (ANI)