At 61st UNHRC Session, TCHRD Calls for Due Process Guarantees for Tibetan Detainees in Tibet

Oral statement to the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council

Item 3: General Debate

Speaker: Phurbu Dolma

Mr. President,  Excellencies, 

We are deeply concerned about the continued repression of fundamental freedoms in Tibet. Tibetans face persistent persecution for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, religion, and cultural practice. Expanding surveillance practices and censorship mechanisms have contributed to an environment where lawful cultural and linguistic activities are increasingly scrutinised under State security frameworks.

In 2025 alone, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy documented over 109 known Tibetan political prisoners who were arrested, detained, sentenced, and subjected to enforced disappearances on vague and politically motivated charges, often solely for peaceful acts such as preserving the Tibetan language or expressing cultural identity, which authorities treat as threats to State security.

These concerns are particularly relevant in light of China’s sixth periodic report to the Committee Against Torture, submitted in February 2025, more than five years after its due date. The State report fails to address the situation in Tibet, where credible reports continue to document torture, ill-treatment, and incommunicado detention. 

We urge Member States and Special Procedures mandate holders to continue scrutinising the human rights situation in Tibet and to press China to ensure due process guarantees for Tibetan detainees, including access to independent legal counsel, family contact, and protection from torture and enforced disappearance. 

We also call on China to grant unhindered access to Tibet for relevant UN Special Procedures, as per pending country visit requests.

Thank you. 

For the full UNHRC session: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vvg1qq2u