Michael Andrews, Amnesty International USA Area Coordinator and longtime human rights activist, attended the Miami Human Rights Torch Relay event and discussed the Chinese regime's violent suppression of monks' demonstrations in Tibet:
Thank you very much and thank you for being here.
On March 1 2008, 400 monks left Drepu Monastery heading for Central Lhasa, the provincial capital of Tibet. The demonstration was calling for an easing of a government-imposed campaign, which forced monks to write denunciations of the Dalai Lama and subjects them to governmental political propaganda.
Over fifty of them were detained by police on their way into the city. Further demonstrations of these arrests took place at other monasteries. These were joined by Tibetan lay people and spread to the neighboring provinces of Qinghai, Gansu, and Sichuan where there were significant numbers of ethnic Tibetans.
Some of these protests turned violent, with attacks on individuals from other ethnic groups and destruction of property, particularly property symbolizing the State or that owned by members of other ethnic groups.
The Chinese security forces' response was reported to include the use of tear gas, beatings, and the firing of live ammunition. The official death toll was reported to be thirteen, killed by violence perpetrated by protesters, including those that set fire to buildings.
Tibetan exile sources now believe that at least 99 Tibetans were killed. Reliable independent information is very difficult to obtain, now that journalists and other observers are being comprehensively denied access to areas where unrest took place.
Amnesty International is concerned with reports of Chinese security forces using excessive force against Tibetan demonstrators, violating demonstrators' rights to freedom of expression, association, and assembly, and that the tense situation could lead to further violations.
As such, Amnesty International is calling on the authorities:
To avoid excessive use of force in restoring order, or protecting individuals and property;
To allow independent U.N. investigation, and grant unimpeded access to Tibet and neighboring provinces, to journalists and other independent observers;
And to fully account for those who are detained, ensuring that they will not be ill-treated, and are given fair trials;
The release of all those detained solely for peaceful protest;
And to otherwise fully respects rights to freedom of expression.
Here are our objectives:
We are calling for a U.N. investigation into the unrest that took place in Tibet and the surrounding provinces between March 10–16, including special procedures of the Human Rights Council to visit Tibet and report back to the Council in its eighth session
We are also calling for a High Commissioner of Human Rights mission to the region after which she would report back to the Human Rights council.
We are also calling for access to Tibet by independent observers, including journalists and human rights monitors, including a statement form the International Olympic Committee calling on the Chinese authorities to allow journalists access to areas where there ahs been unrest, in line with Olympic promises of full media freedom.
For more information on human rights abuses in China and around the world you can visit our website at AmnestyUSA.org
I thank you for being here to support human rights. Thank you.
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