Rights group targets China, highlights atrocities in Tibet, East Turkistan, Hong Kong

NEW DELHI: A pro-Tibet group named Global Alliance For Tibet and Persecuted Minorities (GMPM) held a panel discussion on February 28 to highlight ongoing human right abuses in Tibet, East Turkistan and Hong Kong.

The webinar titled “China: Struggle For Political Freedom in Tibet, East Turkistan and Hong Kong”, was viewed by more than 1,500 people in less than 4 hours of its culmination.
Writer and activist Tsering Pasaang introduced the panellists and highlighted the atrocities committed by the Chinese administration against Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians and Hongkongers. Tsering urged the international community to hold China accountable and assured that his organisation will go all the way to ensure that questions on human rights violations do not go unanswered.

Benedict Rogers from Hong Kong Watch explained the brutal and unjustified interference by the Chinese establishment in Hong Kong.

He said that his organisation is releasing a report shortly which would expose Chinese undue presence in Hong Kong. He added that the UK government must revisit the strategic ties with China and hold it accountable for the atrocities committed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) against minorities in the occupied territories.

Rayhima Mehmut, UK Director of World Uyghur Congress, explained how she was forced to leave her country (East Turkistan) due to her activism and how her brother and other Uyghur families are almost under house arrest or surveillance.

She explained how the Chinese are torturing the Uyghurs in concentration camps with women subjected to rapes, gang rape, forced labour, violation of religious rights and utilizing them for organ harvesting. Rayhima added that the other Muslims in the world have succumbed to Chinese bullying and they are not speaking for the rights of Uyghurs.

Another participant, Debjit Sarkaar said that it was unfortunate that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who claims to be the head of the Islamic State, has said that he was not aware of any human rights violations being committed against Uyghurs.

Sarkaar warned that the Chinese have opened schools throughout the world where they are propagating the curriculum of Chinese interest. Chinese apps are feeding the Chinese version and narrative on global platforms, he said.

Furthermore, Sarkaar highlighted Chinese aggression in India, Nepal and Bhutan. He called Chinese expansionism a threat to its neighbourhood. He said that China is doing the same in occupied territories what Pakistan had done in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)

He said that huge funds are being spent by China to indoctrinate the youth and children in the occupied territories to serve its ulterior motive. On the issue of “One China Policy, Tibetan activist Tenzin Pasaang added that this is high time that India and the international community reject China on ‘One China Policy’.

The Tibetan activist also explained how China is exploiting the mines and other natural resources and labour in Tibet to serve its economic interests

He said that after stealing Tibetan resources, China is managing trade at cheaper rates and on the basis of these cheap deals, it has motivated western countries to favour the ‘One China Policy’. He said that ‘One China Policy’ is not in the interest of India from a security point of view and India must reject it.

He added that Tibet is a buffer zone between India and China so India must recognize Tibet as a separate independent country. He added, “When China is not respecting ‘One India Policy’, why should India do it.’

Burzine Whagmar, a moderator at the event, presented a historical perspective of Chinese aggression in Asia and occupied territories.

Whagmar also highlighted how Chinese authorities were involved in organ harvesting, forced labour, sterilization of women and suppressing the voices of minorities in occupied territories. He explained how China has encroached on Tibetan waters and six rivers of Tibet for its interests without sharing any dividend with Tibetans.

He further said that international leaders are selective in condemning human rights violations and added that for the petty interests Turkey had once mentioned that China is doing developmental work in East Turkistan and no atrocities are being committed by China against the Uyghurs. (ANI)