Crackdown on Tibet Protests Merits Independent U.N. Investigation; President Bush...

Crackdown on Tibet Protests Merits Independent U.N. Investigation; President
Bush Must Act, Says Amnesty International

WASHINGTON, March 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Chinese authorities
should allow an independent U.N. investigation into the situation in Tibet,
particularly the sealing off of the region in recent days and the long-term
restrictions on human rights monitoring, said Amnesty International (AI),
adding that the situation demands attention by the Human Rights Council at its
current session. A U.S. spokesperson for the organization also called on
President Bush to speak forcefully on the issue.
"President Bush should immediately address the deteriorating situation in
Tibet and state, in no uncertain terms, that China cannot afford to gamble
with life and liberty so close to the advent of the Olympics," said T. Kumar,
Asia advocacy director for Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). "Chinese
authorities have indicated that hosting the Olympic Games would serve to
improve the country's human rights record, but recent actions in Tibet only
serve to undermine its reputation."
AI called on the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in responding
to continuing protests, to fully account for all detainees in Lhasa and other
Tibetan areas during the crackdown over the last week, and to release those
detained for peacefully expressing their views and exercising their freedom of
expression, association and assembly.
"The Chinese authorities need to address the underlying grievances of the
Tibetan people and the long-term policies that have generated such
resentment," said Catherine Baber, Director of the Asia-Pacific Program at
Amnesty International, from London. Long-term grievances surfacing this week
included perceived exclusion from the benefits of economic development,
restrictions on religious practice and the weakening of Tibetan culture and
ethnic identity through government policies.
SOURCE Amnesty International

T. Kumar, +1-202-997-4567 of Amnesty International