Geneva, March 24 As the 59th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights completed its first week of the annual six-week session, East Timor’s Senior and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Mr. Jose Ramos-Horta and Sweden Foreign Minister Ms. Anna Lindh raised the human rights situation in Tibet in their statements.
On 18 March, the Foreign Minister of the UN’s newest member told the Commission that his country “commend the Chinese authorities for the recent meeting held in Beijing with senior representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. While we are not aware of any outcome and possible follow up, the meeting in itself was a very positive development.”
On 20 March, the Swedish Foreign Minister in her statement said: “In China, we can see some improvements in the legal field, and in the cooperation with the international community. Still, however, the general situation of human rights and the situation for the Tibetan people remain unacceptable.”
Rep. Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, Representative of H. H. the Dalai Lama for UN Affairs, at the Tibet Bureau in Geneva was able to personally thank both the Foreign Ministers for their remarks on the human rights situation in Tibet. Much of the Commission’s first week session was devoted to what is termed as a “high level segment” wherein dignitaries from around the world came to address the forum about their respective human rights policies or the situation in their countries. Ambassador Jeane J Kirkpatrick, the Head of the U. S. Delegation, speaking to the Commission on 18 March said: “Some criticisms aimed at the Commission overlooks positive steps taken in recent sessions, but the widespread overall impression is that too many serious and systematic abuses of human rights go unchallenged or even covered-up in this body. The practice of electing the Commission members from some of the world ’s worst human rights offenders is especially serious. The cynical resort to procedural tactics to avoid taking a position on human rights abuses has not gone unnoticed and is rightly criticized.”
On 20 March, when the U. S. Delegation gave its first briefing to NGOs, it was clear from answers by the delegation that Washington is yet to make a firm decision on the submission of a resolution against China. The delegation said that the decision on China would be made at the highest-level of their administration, including by President Bush himself. The first week session of the Commission also witnessed a few large vigils organised by the followers of Falun Gong to highlight the situation of their practitioners in China.
Tibet Bureau, Geneva
