Tibetan rights group highlights oppression, destruction by China in Tibet

Researchers from the Central Tibetan Administration highlighted China`s systematic violations of human rights and destruction of culture and natural environment in Tibet since 1950.

During the second day of the three-day virtual event on '17-point Agreement and 70 Years of Oppression in Tibet' organised by the Tibet Bureau Geneva, the researchers focused on human rights and environmental issues.

Tibet Bureau Geneva`s UN advocacy officer Kalden Tsomo, traced the human rights violations and destruction to Tibetan culture, identity and damag to the natural environment that began right back to the time when Tibet came under the occupation of China in the 1950s.

Since then, China has been constantly violating every aspect of Tibetan fundamental rights in Tibet, Kalden said.

Any form of peaceful expressions against the denial of fundamental rights in Tibet bring more of arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, prison sentences and torture, the researcher said.

In absence of space for Tibetans to take conventional form of peaceful protest, she noted how Tibetans have started resorting to self-immolation protests since 2009.

Kalden also enumerated various international reports that have managed to expose the grim and deteriorating human rights situation in Tibet despite China`s desperate attempt to cover up its repressive policies and violations of human rights in Tibet, including the UN General Assembly resolutions on Tibet tabled in 1959, 1961 and 1965.

She showed how such resolutions have repeatedly called on China to "respect for fundamental rights of the Tibetan people and Tibetan distinctive cultural and religious life".

DIIR`s Dukthen Kyi spoke about the flawed development policies in Tibet.

Responding to trope of "liberation and prosperity in Tibet" as claimed by China, repeatedly including in its latest white paper on Tibet, Dukthen revealed how Tibetan atrocities ironically remain absent in these documents.

Noting how "the last 70 years under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been nothing but of oppression and destruction," she explained how while Tibet continues to be a developmental priority for Chinese government, the projects have neither "liberated" nor brought "prosperity" to the Tibetans.

Dukthen warned of China`s intensifying religious repression and cultural genocide in Tibet through sophisticated technology to monitor and censor the Tibetans.

Cases of state-led demolition of largest Tibetan Buddhist learning centers, Larung Gar and Yachen Gar, exhibit how so-called development in Tibet are carried away, she added.

Based on her research, Dechen Palmo commented on how China`s last 70 years of occupation has resulted in environmental destruction in Tibet.

Referring to the chapter 8 of China`s recently propagated White Paper on Tibet to justify its "liberation", "development" and "prosperity" since the annexation of Tibet, Dechen strongly refuted Beijing claims as false

"What they have done is destruction rather than protection with evidence from destructive mining, irresponsible damming, and forceful removal of Tibetan nomads."

Tenzin Lhadon, another researcher, shed light on CCP and its assimilationist policies and programmes in Tibet, which have threatened the Tibetan history, heritage, culture, and identity for the past 70 years.