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
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