Written Evidence Apr. 16 2024
Inquiry: International relations within the multilateral systemFound: A vital part of our work is to expose how Chinese interference affects not only Hong Kong, Tibet, and
Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) of them, such as Jimmy Lai, on trial even as we meet; and with the untold brutality we have seen in Tibet - Speech Link
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 7 March (HL2663), whether they have made any estimate of the number of camps, including the so-called anti-extremism centres and re-education camps, in (1) Tibet and (2) the rest of China.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government refers to credible external estimates, in particular those from the United Nations, of numbers of individuals in China detained under various circumstances and within certain geographies. For example, the April 2023 UN Special Procedures found "[h]undreds of thousands of Tibetans have reportedly been 'transferred' from their traditional rural lives to low-skilled and low-paid employment since 2015" noting "the labour transfer programme is facilitated by a network of 'vocational training centres', which focus less on developing professional skills and more on cultural and political indoctrination in a militarised environment." As noted in the Government's response to Written Question HL2663, with regard to the situation in Xinjiang, in 2018 the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination estimated "upwards of a million people were being held in so-called counter-extremism centres and another two million had been forced into what the Chinese refer to as 're-education camps' for political and cultural indoctrination."
Mentions:
1: Lord Alton of Liverpool (XB - Life peer) There are daily threats to Taiwan and we have seen extraordinary cruelty and barbarism in Tibet, along - Speech Link
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make it his policy to support religious self-governance for Tibetan Buddhists.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The freedom to practice, change or share one's faith or belief without discrimination is a human right that all people, including Tibetan Buddhists, should enjoy. The UK Government will continue to do all that we can to encourage freedoms of religious and cultural expression in Tibet and across China. For example, we view the appointment of the next Dalai Lama as a matter for the relevant religious authorities to decide in line with those freedoms of religion and belief.
The UK Government consistently raises human rights issues with the Chinese authorities - the Foreign Secretary did so in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise Tibet in multilateral fora, for example, in January at China's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council.
Mentions:
1: Fraser, Murdo (Con - Mid Scotland and Fife) of the Rohingya population; and China’s treatment of the Uyghurs and its atrocities in Kashmir and Tibet - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Iain Duncan Smith (Con - Chingford and Woodford Green) China is the most egregious offender in this regard, with its actions on religion in Xinjiang and in Tibet - Speech Link
Formal Minutes Mar. 14 2024
Committee: Human Rights (Joint Committee)Found: Policing; Qatar; Rwanda & Gt Lakes; Save the Pub; Sri Lanka; Street Children; Swimming; Taiwan; Tamils; Tibet
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made an assessment of the number of internment camps in (1) China, (2) Xinjiang, and (3) Tibet.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government closely monitors the human rights situation in China, where people face widespread restrictions and violations on human rights and fundamental freedoms. With regard to the situation in Xinjiang, in 2018 the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination estimated "upwards of a million people were being held in so-called counter-extremism centres and another two million had been forced into what the Chinese refer to as 're-education camps' for political and cultural indoctrination". Regarding Tibet, UN Special Rapporteurs reported in February 2023 that "around a million" Tibetan children had been separated from their families to assimilate them into majority Han culture. The UK Government continues to lead international efforts to hold China to account, including through the UN and bilaterally. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights concerns in his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 16 February.