U.S.-China Issues

17 March 2008

Rice Asks Chinese Authorities to Show Restraint in Tibet

United States urges calm amid protests

By Merle D. Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

Washington -- The United States is calling on all sides in recent civil strife between protesters and Chinese authorities in Tibet to exercise restraint and refrain from further violence.

"I am deeply saddened to learn that the turmoil that erupted yesterday [March 14] in Lhasa [the Tibetan capital] following what began as peaceful protests has resulted in the loss of lives, and I am concerned that the violence appears to be continuing," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says.

"We call on the Chinese government to exercise restraint in dealing with these protests, and we strongly urge all sides to refrain from violence."

Rice’s statement was released March 15 in Washington.  The secretary also urged the Chinese government to release monks and other political dissidents who have been imprisoned for peacefully expressing their views.

"President Bush has consistently encouraged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama directly and through his representatives so that long-standing issues with regard to Tibet may be resolved," Rice said.  "We urge China to respect the fundamental and universally recognized right of all of its citizens to peacefully express their political and religious reviews."

Rice also called on Chinese authorities to address policies that have created tensions because of their impact on Tibetan religion, culture and livelihoods.

Officially, the United States recognizes that Tibet and its autonomous prefects and counties in other provinces are part of China, according to the State Department’s recently released 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.  At the same time, the report said "the government's human rights record in Tibetan areas of China remained poor, and the level of repression of religious freedom increased."

The report also states that Chinese authorities continued to commit serious human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary arrest and detention and house arrest and surveillance of dissidents.

"The preservation and development of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage of Tibetan areas and the protection of the Tibetan people's other fundamental human rights continued to be of concern," the annual report said.

Civil strife in Tibet began March 10 on the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in the region.  Tibet is a region in southern China that is bounded by the Himalayan Mountains to the south.  It sits on a plateau at nearly 4,000 meters to 5,000 meters above sea level.  Approximately 2.7 million people, mostly Tibetans, live in Tibet.

The full text of the China section of the 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices is available on the State Department Web site.