By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, February 7: The human rights situation in Tibet has continued to deteriorate despite reforms promised by the leadership in Beijing, the annual human rights report published by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said.
The 2014 annual report released today at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Hall in Gangchen Kyishong, highlights death in detention, collective punishment and restrictions on the right to freedom of assembly and association. The report said the treatment of Tibetans has deteriorated substantially in all three areas.
John Gaudette, Legal Research Officer of TCHRD, said that the number of death in detention has escalated in 2014 with many Tibetan prisoners subjected to torture, beatings and denial of medical care.
The 206–page report also addresses violations of Civil and Political rights, including the right to privacy and the expansion of the security state; Economic, Social and Cultural Rights including the resettlement of the nomads; the developments in the international community including statements concerning the human rights situation in Tibet at the United Nations.
In 2014, 11 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting against China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard-line policies. Nine of them had succumbed to burns sustained in their fiery protests. The report also noted that China had expanded the scope of its punishment of Tibetans by announcing punishment to the entire families and villages.
With an examination of Official census data, the right group has found that the education and health care in Tibetan areas is worse than China. John noted that Tibetans live shorter live of less quality and described the schooling “ineffective and inefficient”.
The annual report will be available in Chinese language for the first time apart from English and Tibetan. It is also available for download.
TCHRD has also updated its Political Prisoner Database that includes information from various sources on 2110 known political prisoners, including 137 Tibetans either detained or sentenced in 2014.
