Deputy Speaker Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok of the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile
Dharamsala: Deputy Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok welcomes the joint statement of the 63 Parliamentarians from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) condemning China on reports of forced labour in Tibet.
Deputy Speaker on behalf of all the Tibetans in and outside Tibet and the 16th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile extends gratitude to all the Parliamentarians for their robust support in condemning the atrocities led by the Chinese government in Tibet where Tibetans are subjected to different coercive nature of labour training and transfer system in Tibet.
“China is coercing thousands of Tibetans in Tibet mostly farmers and herders into military-style training centres for seven months which is equivalent to those of labour camps and authorities have also set quotas for the mass transfer of those workers within Tibet and to other parts of China hence forcing the nomads and farmers to change their livelihood against their will,” writes the Deputy Speaker in his Thank-you letter.
The Deputy Speaker further writes, “63 Parliamentarians from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) issued a joint statement condemning China on reports of forced labour in Tibet. The joint statement stated, “We stand united in unequivocal condemnation of these practices and call upon the Chinese government to halt these atrocities immediately.” The legislators further called upon their respective governments to take actions to condemn the atrocities and prevent further human rights abuses including:
- Governments should impose targeted Magnitsky-style sanctions upon those responsible;
- Governments should urgently revise their risk advice to businesses currently sourcing from areas affected by Tibetan and other Chinese forced labor schemes to keep goods and services purchased in our respective jurisdictions from being tainted by Tibetan forced labor;
- Governments must call for reciprocal access to Tibet in order to conduct an independent international investigation into the situation of the Tibetan people;
- The Secretary-General of the United Nations should install a Special Rapporteur to investigate forced-labor and ethnic persecution in the People’s Republic of China.”
“IPAC, an international cross-party group of legislators formed to help counter the threat posed by China’s growing influence on global trade, security, and human rights. Also, to construct appropriate and coordinated responses, and to help craft a proactive and strategic approach on issues related to China. The staunch and unwavering support from the Parliamentarians towards bringing justice in Tibet sends a positive message to the global world and those Tibetans who are suffering under the coercion of brutal Chinese regime. I think now is the time for United Nation to upfront and to install a special rapporteur to investigate reports of ethnic persecution by China as evidence emerged of forced labour in Tibet,” he writes.
“Formation of IPAC brought great hope in us and we believe that you can bring changes in how China degrades the basic human rights in Tibet since the illegal occupation in 1959.”
Lastly, the Deputy Speaker extends gratitude to the lawmakers and urges them to continue with the great initiative. The 63 Parliamentarians who signed the joint statement are George Christensen MP (Australia), Andrew Hastie MP (Australia), Sen. Kimberley Kitching (Australia), James Bezan MP (Canada), Hon. Irwin Cotler (Canada), Garnett Genuis MP (Canada), Sen. Thanh Hai Ngo (Canada), Pavel Fischer MP (Czechia), Jan Lipavský MP (Czechia), Uffe Elbæk MP (Denmark), Isabelle Florennes MP (France), Sen. André Gattolin (France), Margarete Bause MdB (Germany), Michael Brand MdB (Germany), Enrico Borghi MP (Italy), Andrea Delmastro Delle Vedove MP (Italy), Paolo Formentini MP (Italy), Roberto Giachetti MP (Italy), Sen. Lucio Malan (Italy), Sen. Roberto Rampi (Italy), François-Xavier Bellamy MEP (EU), Engin Eroglu MEP (EU), Sandro Gozi MEP (EU), Karin Karlsbro MEP (EU), David Lega MEP (EU), Miriam Lexmann MEP (EU), Rep. Gen Nakatani (Japan), Sen. Hiroshi Yamada (Japan), Rep. Shiori Yamao (Japan), Mantas Adomėnas MP (Lithuania), Dovilė Šakalienė MP (Lithuania), Martijn van Helvert MP (Netherlands), Henk Krol MP (Netherlands), Louisa Wall MP (New Zealand), Joar Forssell, MP (Sweden), Hampus Hagman, MP (Sweden), David Josefsson, MP (Sweden), Elisabet Lann (Sweden), Fredrik Malm MP (Sweden), Maria Nilsson, MP (Sweden), Fabian Molina MP (Switzerland), Nicolas Walder MP (Switzerland), Lord David Alton MP (UK), Steve Baker MP (UK), Chris Bryant MP (UK), Alistair Carmichael MP (UK), Rosie Cooper MP (UK), Judith Cummins MP (UK), David Davis MP (UK), Iain Duncan Smith MP (UK), Damian Green MP (UK), Baroness Helena Kennedy (UK), Imran Ahmad Khan MP (UK), Tim Loughton MP (UK), Anthony Mangnall MP (UK), Baroness Catherine Meyer (UK), Craig Mackinlay MP (UK), Andrew Selous MP (UK), Alyn Smith MP (UK), Henry Smith MP (UK), Sen. Bob Menendez (USA), Sen. Marco Rubio (USA) and Rep. Ted Yoho (USA).
