TCHRD Statements

TCHRD Statement on Human Rights Day 

Human rights empower people to overcome subjugation and oppression. Regardless of who we are, where we live or what we do, we all want the same things: safety, dignity, and freedom,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in his message for this year’s Human Rights Day. His words underscore the foundational promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a promise that continues to...

TCHRD Statement on the Systematic Torture and Abuse of Tibetans in Tibet

On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) honours the enduring courage of Tibetan political prisoners, environmental defenders, and human rights advocates who have suffered torture and inhumane treatment under the Chinese government’s oppressive policies in Tibet.  This year’s observance coincides with the long-overdue submission by China of its sixth periodic report to the UN...

30th Anniversary of the Enforced Disappearance of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima

17 May 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet, Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok...

Joint Statement

Call for Independent and Impartial Investigations into the Suspicious Death and Secret Cremation of Tibetan Tulku Hungkar Dorje in Vietnam The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights...

China: Investigate the Untimely Death of Tibetan Village Leader and Disclose the Whereabouts of 20 Detainees

A Tibetan village leader has died from severe torture inflicted during seven months of detention by Chinese authorities, raising grave concerns about the fate...

TCHRD condemns China’s internationalization of repression and sanctions imposed on Tibetan human rights group

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) extends its wholehearted support and solidarity to the Canada Tibet Committee as it came under...

Chinese Government Rejects Key Human Rights Recommendations in Latest UN Review 

Intense Lobbying Campaign Produces Many Weak Recommendations  The Chinese government’s rejection of recommendations to end its deepening human rights crisis reflects its disdain for international...

China’s re-election to Human Rights Council exposes the crisis facing UN human rights system

Last Tuesday, China retained its membership in the Human Rights Council, the UN’s premier rights body responsible for protecting and promoting human rights globally. China received 154 votes in its reelection bid, up from 139 it received in 2020. This is the sixth time China has been elected to the Council.  “That China, with its long and egregious human rights record, can get itself elected to the Human Rights Council time and again is symptomatic of the deep ills that plague the UN human rights system,” said Ms Tenzin Dawa, executive director of TCHRD.

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Every year on 26 June, the United Nations observes the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, explicitly focusing on torture's lasting generational impact and consequences. Recognising torture as the deliberate infliction of severe physical and mental suffering without justification, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as an urgent call to eliminate this abhorrent practice, serving as a platform to promote the eradication of torture and to urge governments worldwide, including China, to fulfil their obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture. Recent cases, such as the severe torture endured by a Tibetan monk and the testimonies of Dorje Tashi, shed light on the systematic use of torture by Chinese authorities to suppress freedom of expression and assembly. These distressing incidents underscore the pressing need for the international community to take a firm stand and demand an immediate end to all acts of torture against Tibetans in Tibet.

28 years since the enforced disappearance of Tibet’s Panchen Lama by the Chinese government 

On the 28th anniversary of the Chinese government’s arbitrary detention and subsequent enforced disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama Jetsun Tenzin Gedhun Yeshi Trinley Phuntsok Pal Sangpo, widely recognised by his lay name Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) reiterates its call to the Chinese government to immediately and unconditionally release the Panchen Lama, his family members, and all the Tibetan political prisoners. TCHRD emphasises that without ensuring the Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights, including freedom of belief and religion, Chinese authorities can never hope to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans, let alone earn any legitimacy for its repressive policies and campaigns in Tibet.

UN Human Rights Experts’ Communication to China on Forced Cultural Assimilation in Tibet

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) welcomes the letter sent to China by four UN human rights experts urging Chinese authorities to clarify how the recent developments in Tibet regarding oppressive laws, policies and practices on education, language and religion are compatible with China’s obligations under the international human rights laws and standards.

Human Rights Day: Campaign to Free Tibetan Political Prisoners

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) calls on the international community to take...

16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence in Tibetan community

A Tibetan mother of two, who was also a popular social media personality, died at the hands of her ex-husband on 30 September because she had refused to return to her abusive marriage. Lhamo, 30, was stabbed and then set on fire by the ex-husband on 14 September while she was live streaming from her home. The horrifying attack on Lhamo on the Chinese video app Douyin triggered a wave of outrage among Chinese netizens, who condemned the crime and demanded that Chinese authorities be held accountable for failing to prevent domestic violence. Despite government censorship, there were vociferous calls advocating for better laws and support systems for domestic abuse victims.

No impunity for torture: #InternationalDayAgainstTorture

26 June is the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) joins initiatives across the...