Human Rights Situation in Tibet is Grim
Dharamsala, 5 February 2005: Twenty-one known cases of arrests on the charges of
“endangering state security” were recorded in 2004.
One hundred and forty six known political prisoners are still serving prison terms at the end of the year 2004.
Of these 55 are serving sentences of 10 years or more.
Monks constitute 63 percent of the total known political prisoners.
These and many more gruesome facts and figures are detailed in Human Rights Situation in Tibet: Annual Report of
2004 released today by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
The report details the current human rights situation in Tibet compiled from independent research along with the
testimonies of newly arrived refugees in exile.
The state of religious freedom in Tibet 2004 continues to be grave; the “religious leaders in Tibet face ongoing
persecution, official harassment and intimidation by the Chinese authorities”, says the Dharamsala based Tibetan
rights group.
In flagrant contradiction to China’s propaganda, the majority of Tibetans have not benefited from the development
plans as they are “systematically denied the right and opportunity to express their opinions or to participate in
the development of Tibet”, the report adds.
The grim state of the Tibetan people’s right to education in “a state driven educational agenda aimed at instilling
loyalty to China and the socialist” is also covered extensively in the report.
The centre is expected to release two additional reports soon: State of Education in Tibet: A Human Rights
Perspective and Strike Hard Campaign: China’s Crackdown on Political Dissidence.