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Tibetan group banned from UN racism conference

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A protester holds a banner during a demonstration against racism in Geneva on 18 April 2009. The Durban Review Conference, which will review progress and assess implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, will be held at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2009.Reuters/Denis Balibouse/Switzerland

China has objected to the accreditation of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) to attend the United Nations’ Durban Review Conference on Racism, which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The five-day conference from 20-24 April 2009 has already experienced disarray due to the boycott by the western allies led by the US over the issue of Israel.

TCHRD says that objecting to participate in the conference is a highly discriminatory move by China.

The Tibetan NGO based in Dharamshala, India, is one of the several non-governmental organisations whose accreditation was overstepped upon by the preparatory committee due to a procedural matter on 17 April 2009.

“Racism is endemic in the Tibetan areas of present day China. The State is sponsoring racism in Tibet through its population transfer policy,” TCHRD says in a statement.

Tibet is flooded with Chinese settlers recklessly brought into the Tibetan areas making racism a major issue. China sweeps the issue and says that violent criminal activities premeditated by a “separatists” in Lhasa in March 2008 resulted in the death of 18 innocent civilians and injured hundreds of others.

The group says China’s statement is “biased and in itself highlights the state-practice of racist attitude and policy” since there has also been deaths of at least 135 Tibetans. The exile government put the figure of deaths at over 200.

TCHRD received accreditation to the World Conference Against Racism in Durban in 2001. The accreditation to the racism conference in Geneva would have been automatic until China objected.

The European Union which did not act to overturn the decision described the situation as the “de facto explusion” of the Tibetan organisation.

TCHRD believes that China should face the reality and constructively work towards eliminating racism in Tibet rather than blocking the voices of the oppressed, which is raised through NGOs like TCHRD.

Published in Tibet Sun