US condemns reports of violence in Tibet: Maria Otero
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 8:29:01 by Fayyaz Yaseen
US condemns reports of violence in Tibet: Maria Otero
Washington DC: (Wednesday, January 25, 2012) Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights, and United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Maria Otero has condemned the reports of violence and continuing
heightened tensions in Tibetan areas of China.
Issuing her statement over the news, Otero said, “As United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, I am gravely concerned by reports of violence and continuing heightened tensions in Tibetan areas of China, including reports
of security forces in Sichuan province opening fire on protesters, killing some and injuring others.”
The under secretary for civilian security also condemned the self-immolation, and said, “These reports follow the self-immolation of four Tibetans earlier this month, bringing the number of reported self-immolations by Tibetans
to 16—mostly monks and former monks, and two nuns—since March 2011.”
The U.S. Government consistently and directly has raised the issue of Tibetan self-immolations with the Chinese government. The U.S. Government repeatedly has urged the Chinese government to address the counterproductive policies
in Tibetan areas that have created tensions and that threaten the distinct religious, cultural and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.
Adding to her comments, she said, “As I have noted previously, these policies include dramatically expanded Chinese government controls on religious life and practice; ongoing “patriotic education” campaigns within monasteries
that require monks to denounce the Dalai Lama; the permanent placement of Chinese officials in monasteries; increasingly intensive surveillance, arbitrary detentions and disappearances of Tibetans; and restrictions on and imprisonment of some families and
friends of self-immolators. Over the last year, Chinese government security and judicial officials also have detained and imprisoned Tibetan writers, artists, intellectuals, and cultural advocates who criticized Chinese government policies.”
Representing her office, she added, “We call on the Chinese government to safeguard the universal human rights of all of China’s citizens. We urge Chinese security forces to exercise restraint, and we renew our call to allow access
to Tibetan areas of China for journalists, diplomats and other observers. We call on the Chinese government to resume substantive, results-oriented dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives to address the underlying grievances of China’s Tibetan
population.”
Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=10519
Posted by Fayyaz Yaseen
on Jan 25 2012. Filed under World.
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