News and Views on Tibet

Vote against China’s UNHRC seat bid: Tibet Advocacy Coalition

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The UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (Photo/Istock)

By Tenzin Nyidon 

DHARAMSHALA, Oct 10: A coordinated effort is currently underway by Tibet Advocacy Coalition, compromising prominent organisations such as the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE), Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), Tibet Initiative Deutschland, International Tibet Network (ITN)  and Tibet Justice Center (TJC). This collective endeavour aims to persuade member states of the United Nations (UN) to vote against China’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

In a week-long initiative, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), a prominent global advocacy organization, has been actively engaging with UN Permanent Missions in New York on behalf of the Tibet Advocacy Coalition. Their mission is to call on UN member states to vote against China’s bid for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) during the upcoming elections scheduled for October 10. 

SFT asserted that China’s human rights record, particularly in Tibet, disqualifies it from serving on such a vital body responsibility for promoting and protecting human rights worldwide. “The Chinese government— a leadership guilty of mass genocide, restrictive colonial boarding schools, and the torture, murder, and beatings of countless innocent Tibetans— is hoping to use the United Nations to spread propaganda ad legitimise their oppression of Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uyghurs, and other colonised people,” the group stated. 

With the ongoing advocacy efforts, the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) has gained significant momentum, with support from Members of Parliament (MPs) in 15 countries, including Italy and Bolivia, two countries that have not traditionally been deeply engaged on issues related to China. In a noteworthy move, MPs from these countries have written to their respective foreign ministries, urging them not to support China’s candidacy in the upcoming elections for seats on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which will take place by secret ballot. They aim to signal that international pressure on China regarding its human rights record remains robust and unwavering. 

China’s declining support in the UNHRC elections has garnered significant attention. In 2016, China received 180 votes for its candidacy, but by 2020, this support had fallen to 139. This decline coincides with mounting controversies surrounding China’s actions in East Turkestan (Xinjiang), where the Chinese government, led by President Xi Jinping, has faced accusations of perpetrating a campaign against the Uyghur population that some governments, human rights groups, and legal bodies have labelled as an attempted genocide.

Over the past several years, the UN has issued 83 formal communications to China regarding various human rights concerns. UN special procedures, the investigative arm of the organization, have complained, stating that they have “yet to see any signs of political will to address the concerns raised.” Additionally, China has consistently rejected recommendations made during the Universal Periodic Review process, and it has refused to reply to 19 visit requests from UN investigators. 

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