The Tibetan Community in Switzerland & Liechtenstein (TCSL) is most afflicted and condemns strongly the recent shooting of defenceless Tibetan refugees by the Chinese People’s Armed Police and the flagrant distortion of facts by the official spokesman of the Chinese government and the Chinese media.
TCSL issued on 17th October 2006 a press release and informed the Swiss media about this barbarous act. Furthermore, TCSL also submitted the press release to H.E. Ambassador Luis Alfonso De Alba, Chairman of the UN Human Rights Council, Ms Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr.
Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China as well as to Mrs Micheline Calmy-Rey, Swiss Federal Councillor.
Luckily, this time, various eyewitnesses have brought to the international attention the illegitimate firing on a group of 73 Tibetan refugees including women and children, who were trying to cross the glaciated Pass into Nepal. The shooting resulted in the death of a 17- year-old nun and injured another 20-year-old young man. Fourteen of these refugees were children, the youngest aged five years old. Some 30 people are still missing.
Every year, many Tibetans try to flee to India to seek refuge and enjoy freedom of speech, religion and education based on the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Art. 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights stipulates that “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution”
Furthermore, by shooting down these refugee people, the government of the People’s Republic of China violates the 1951 Refugee Convention and even the Art. 51 as the Tibetan refugees were unarmed according to various sources.
The Tibetan Community in Switzerland & Liechtenstein urges the Human Rights Council and the Mechanisms to investigate into this matter, to render justice regarding this barbarous act, and to ensure an immediate release of the arrested Tibetan refugees. In addition, the Chinese authorities should be urged to immediately stop the practice soldiers shooting upon civilians in the Himalayas.
How long do the Tibetan people have to suffer until the International Community is ready to show their political will? Will there be any Tibetan people left then? Act now, before it is too late.
