From: hrcoord@igc.apc.org (Human Rights Coordinator)
Newsgroups: soc.rights.human
Subject: CHINA: concerns re Tibet
Date: 11 Oct 92 14:58:00 GMT
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1476700614:000:3024
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!hrcoord    Oct 11 07:58:00 1992


From: Human Rights Coordinator <hrcoord>
Subject: CHINA: concerns re Tibet

/* Written 10:16 pm  Oct 10, 1992 by aiusala@igc.apc.org in igc:ai.general */
Amnesty International
International Secretariat
1 Easton Street
London WC1X 8DJ
United Kingdom

DATE: 30 SEPTEMBER 1992

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: CHINESE "WHITE PAPER" ON TIBET
FAILS TO ANSWER AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S CONCERNS

     On 24 September 1992, the Information Office of China's
State Council made public in Beijing a "white paper"
entitled, Tibet - Its Ownership and Human Rights Situation.
The preface to the twelve-part document states that the
"white paper" aims to "present" the "facts" concerning
"earth-shaking changes" which have taken place in Tibet in
recent years. This is the third "white paper" published by
the Chinese authorities since November 1991 to respond to
international criticism of its human rights record.

      The "white paper" makes a number of statements about
the range of rights guaranteed in theory by the Chinese
constitution, but Amnesty International is concerned that
the exercize of these rights is severely limited in
practice.

      The "white paper" states that "respect for and
protection of religious belief is a basic policy of the
Chinese government", adding that "those who carry out law-
breaking and conduct criminal activities under the guise of
religion will be prosecuted according to law".

      It also states that "any activity sabotaging stability
and unity in Tibet and any unlawful deed creating
disturbance and inciting riots runs against the basic
interests of the Tibetan people and will be cracked down on
relentlessly".

      Amnesty International takes no position on the issue
of Tibetan independence, or other issues discussed in the
"white paper", such as education or the political history of
Tibet. However, the organization has information about
dozens of prisoners of conscience arrested and charged with
"counter-revolutionary" offences for peacefully expressing
their political or religious beliefs in Tibet in recent
years.

      In 1992, over 80 suspected pro-independence activists
have reportedly been arrested by police in and around Lhasa,
the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Three prisoners
of conscience whose cases had been taken up by Amnesty
International have been released since April 1992. Dozens of
others remain in detention despite repeated appeals by
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations.

      Amnesty International also continues to receive
reports of torture and ill-treatment of Tibetan detainees. A
number of former detainees have died in the months following
their release, and Amnesty International is concerned that
the deaths may have resulted from ill-treatment suffered in
detention.

(The previous two "white papers" concerned human rights
policies and the use of "corrective labour" in China; see
respectively Amnesty International's documents ASA 17/WU
03/91 of 13 November 1991 and ASA 17/WU 06/92 of 26 August
1992.)