By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 10: UN Advocacy Officer Kalden Tsomo along with the Representative Thinlay Chukki of the Office of Tibet in Geneva and the President of the Tibetan Women’s Association Tenzing Dolma on Monday delivered a joint statement on the status of Tibetan women inside Tibet at the ongoing 85th Session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
During the briefing, UN Advocacy Officer Kalden Tsomo highlighted the situation of Tibetan women while emphasising that the discriminatory policies and practices adopted by China has impacted Tibetan women disproportionately. They cited the cases of 2017-18 where thousands of Tibetan nuns from Yachen Gar, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist learning centers were evicted from the center, subjecting them to military drill session and political re-education sessions. “Three Tibetan nuns, Rigzen Dolma, Tsering Dolma and Semgha from Yachen Gar committed suicide due to constant harassment by the Chinese authorities,” the statement highlighted.
The UN Advocacy Officer also raised alarm for the millions of Tibetan children who are forcibly sent to residential schools in occupied Tibet, aimed at assimilating Tibetan children into the Han majority culture. She further stated the testimonies on China’s systematic suppression of Tibet rights defenders; the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama along with his mother Dechen Choedon and the self-immolation of 159 Tibetans in Tibet including girls and women against Chinese oppressions.
Kalden Tsomo urged the expert committee to monitor China’s treatment of women and reminded that the ‘Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women’ was signed and ratified by China in 1980. At the completion of the brief, she urged the committee to press China to stop persecution and discrimination against Tibetans, including women and girls; to allow Tibetan children to learn its culture, language and religious traditions and to stop its discriminatory policies and suppression of Tibetan women.
The CEDAW is the body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women’ and consists of 23 experts from around the world.
