Urgent appeal on Tibetan self immolations in Ngapa

H. E. Ms. Navi Pillay

High Commissioner for Human Rights

Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

ATTN: Rory Mungoven, Chief Asia-Pacific Section, OHCHR

Re: Urgent Appeal on Tibetan Self Immolations in Ngapa

Your Excellency,

We, the undersigned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from various parts of the world, seek your immediate intervention with the Chinese authorities in view of the alarming and very disturbing news that has emerged from Tibet about the tragic self-immolation protests by nine Tibetans in Ngapa, notably monks and one nun, which resulted in several of them dying. We believe these acts of desperation are the direct results of the heightened intensity of China's control and contraints on fundamental freedoms in Tibet.

While being gravely concerned about these new developments as well as by the overall deplorable human rights situation faced by the Tibetan people, we in particular request the High Commissioner to intervene by calling upon the Chinese authorities to immediately:

• Withdraw military and other armed personnel from Kirti Monastery, Ngapa and hand over the entire day-to-day management of the monastery to the monks and allow unhindered atmosphere of religious activity at the monastery for both the monks and lay people.

• Put an end to the so-called "patriotic education campaign" currently imposed on the monks of Kirti Monastery who have been compelled to follow communist ideology indoctrination sessions since April, 2011.

• Provide a full clarification on the status of the 300 monks who were taken away from Kirti Monastery in April, 2011 about which several Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, including the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances have intervened.

• Release information on all those detained in Ngapa since 16 March, 2011, especially about their current whereabouts and well-being.

• Release all Tibetan political prisoners.

• Account for the status of those Tibetans who have been "hospitalised" after their self-immolation protests, including their access to adequate medical treatement.

• Lift the military siege in Ngapa, Sichuan Province and allow independent observers to the region.

Sincerely,

Signed by:

1. Mahatma Gandhi International, Belgium
2. Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l'amitié les peuples (MRAP), France
3. International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), France
4. Forum Human Rights, Germany
5. Society for Threatened Peoples, Germany
6. World Uyghur Congress, Germany
7. Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights, Greece
8. Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network (AITPN), India
9. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India
10. South Asia Network against Torture & Impunity (SANTI), India
11. No Peace Without Justice, Italy
12. Nonviolent Radical Party, transnational and Transparty, Italy
13. Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO), Netherlands
14. International Campaign for Tibet-Europe, Netherlands
15. Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Nigeria
16. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland
17. Law and Society Trust, Sri Lanka
18. Saami Council, Sweden
19. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Switzerland
20. Rencontre Africaine de Défense Pour les Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO), Switzerland
21. Forum Asia for Human Rights and Development, Thailand
22. Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), UK
23. Mapuche Inernational Link, UK
24. International Educational Development, USA
25. Association of Humanitarian Lawyers, USA
26. Human Rights in China (HRIC), Hong Kong SRA and USA
27. World Sindhi Institute, Canada-USA