Observed each year on 10 December, International Human Rights Day marks the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a landmark document that, for the first time, set out the fundamental rights and freedoms inalienable to all human beings. This year, the United Nations, through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, has marked the Day with the theme “Human Rights: Our Everyday Essentials”. The theme highlights both how deeply human rights are embedded in daily life and how unevenly they are experienced, particularly during moments of crisis when access to aid, information, and dignity becomes a matter of survival.

In the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck Dingri County, Tibet, on 7 January 2025, causing widespread destruction, loss of life, and the collapse of thousands of homes, the principles underpinning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights were put to a test. At a time when Tibetan communities urgently required unhindered humanitarian assistance, accurate information, and the freedom to organize collective relief efforts, reports emerged of Chinese authorities restricting access to the disaster area, withholding relief supplies, suppressing independent reporting, and warning Tibetans against sharing information about conditions on the ground. The survivors of the earthquake and local volunteers were thus left navigating profound loss amid fear, censorship, and state control.

Beyond moments of disaster, similar restrictions on fundamental rights continued to shape everyday life in Tibet throughout 2025. One of the most pervasive ways in which these restrictions manifested was through intensified digital surveillance, with reports throughout 2025 documenting the systematic monitoring of Tibetans’ online activity, including social media use, messaging platforms, and digital communications, effectively limiting civic space and freedom of expression in everyday life.

Such pervasive surveillance has facilitated the targeting of individuals for peaceful cultural and artistic expression. In early July 2025, two Tibetan singers Asang and Palchung were forcibly detained by Chinese authorities after they performed a song titled “The Prince of Peace” in praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Despite repeated appeals, Asang and Palchung’s whereabouts and condition remain unknown, causing deep distress for their family and community. In a separate yet similar incident, Tsewang Dhonko, a monk from the same region as Palchung, was reportedly arrested in July 2025 for sharing online an image of the yellow ceremonial hat traditionally associated with the Dalai Lamas, as a symbolic gesture commemorating the 90th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama. These cases are not isolated but reflect a wider pattern of arrests and intimidation across Tibet.

The gap between international human rights commitments and lived realities is further evident in ongoing violations across Tibet, including the forced displacement of entire villages for large-scale hydropower and mining projects, the eviction of monks and nuns from major religious centres such as Larung Gar, and the destruction of around 300 Buddhist stupas and revered statue in Drakgo County, Tibet. Together, these actions undermine Tibetans’ rights to housing, livelihood, and religious freedom, as well as their cultural identity and community life, standing in clear contradiction to the principles and promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Tibet has once again received the lowest possible freedom rating in the Freedom in the World 2025 report by Freedom House, a U.S.-based human rights organisation. Tibet was given an overall score of 0 out of 100, reflecting severe restrictions on political rights and civil liberties under Chinese rule. A broad coalition of international organisations, human-rights bodies, parliamentary groups, and national governments—including the European Parliament, EU member states at the UN, UN human-rights mechanisms, major NGOs, and governments—formally expressed support for Tibet and raised serious concerns about the ongoing violations there. We extend our gratitude for these statements of solidarity and emphasise the continued importance of such voices until Tibetans are fully free to express their identity in accordance with international law.

– Filed by UN, EU, and the Human Rights Desk, Tibet Advocacy Section, DIIR