Tokyo: Representative Dr. Arya Tsewang Gyalpo, Office of Tibet Tokyo today addressed the current situation in Tibet and the United States’ 2020 Tibetan Policy and Support Act at a hearing organized by All Party Japanese Parliamentarians’ Group on Promotion of Human Rights at the Japanese Parliament building of the House of Representatives.
Around 30 Japanese lawmakers from different political parties attended the hearing on Tibet.
In his opening remarks, Nakagawa Masaharu, a member of parliament from the Constitutional Democratic Party, said the All Party Japanese Parliamentarians Group on Promotion of Human Rights has been established taking into consideration the importance of growing concern over human rights and democracy and the role of diplomacy.
The hearing was moderated by Watanabe Shu, a member of Parliament and former State Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications and State Minister of Defense. He said today’s hearing on the human rights situation in Tibet is part of their effort to understand the issue and how they can support it. He asserted they are happy to have the Representative of the Central Tibetan Administration speak on the human rights situation in Tibet.
Dr. Arya Tsewang Gyalpo, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Japan, briefed the Japanese parliamentarians on three major points: 1) Current situation in Tibet; 2) the US Tibetan Policy and Support Act, and 3) appeal for support from the Japanese government. He spoke on the heightened repression in Tibet right now and explained how Tibet has become a police-state now. He talked on the Chinese government’s policy to ban Tibetan language in the schools, meddling in Tibetan religious affairs and the administration of the monasteries. He briefed on the increasing restrictions on the freedom of movement, arbitrary arrest, torture and death of Tibetans in Tibet.
Dr. Arya apprised the Japanese parliamentarians on key points of the passage of the 2020 Tibetan Policy and Support Act by the US government and urged the Parliament members to move similar legislation in the Japanese parliament.
Dr. Satoshi Hirano, Professor of Graduate School of Law and Politics of the University of Tokyo, spoke on the Chinese government’s policies since 1949 to assimilate Tibet through economic development and destruction of Tibetan people’s culture, language and religion.
He expressed concern over the growing transfer of Han Chinese population into Tibetan areas and the policy of changing the language of instruction in schools from Tibetan to Chinese to speed up the assimilation of Tibet. “Tibetans in Tibet suffer great setbacks to maintain their unique social and cultural identity under the pressure of Chinese population transfer into Tibet. Those Tibetans who express concern over the threat to their culture and protection of legal rights are being arbitrarily arrested and detained,” he said.
Representative Arya and professor Hirano answered questions from the parliamentarians during the Q&A session. The members raised questions on how the CCP is undermining the Tibetan identity, culture and race. The members expressed support and appreciated the Tibetans’ principle of peace and non-violence in achieving genuine autonomy.
The Japanese edition of the book, “Tibet’s Stolen Child”, on the Chinese government’s abduction of the 11th Panchen Lama Gedun Choekyi Nyima was distributed to the Japanese parliamentarians.
– Filed by Office of Tibet, Tokyo