We’ve rights to discuss Tibet issue: Human Rights watchdog

Human Rights Council should actively engage on "serious human rights abuses" wherever they occur, including the current crisis in Tibet, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.

"The council has not only the right, but the obligation to address the Tibet crisis," said Juliette de Rivero, Geneva advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "It's scandalous that the council ends up silencing those who are trying to make sure it does its job."

The United States, Australia, Slovenia (on behalf of the European Union) and Switzerland raised issue of human rights abuses in Tibet when the Council was addressing and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.

The declaration, adopted at the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, recommitted states to fundamental human rights standards and laid out a framework for future efforts to realize those principles.

China repeatedly objected to references regarding its actions in Tibet, arguing that discussions of a "country specific" situation were out of order. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Algeria, Cuba, and Zimbabwe joined China in blocking the debate.

The discussion on Tuesday was ultimately curtailed by procedural motions.

The Human Rights Watch said that those who joined China had a purpose as they themselves are "serious human rights" violators.

The council's discussions deteriorated into procedural wrangling over whether discussion of a single human rights situation was appropriate given that the agenda topic was the Vienna Declaration.

Ambassador Doru Costea of Romania, the HRC president, ultimately agreed to restrict discussion by requiring that statements not address a single human rights situation.

The Council's deliberations and blocking of discussion on human rights violations in Tibet, the Human Rights Watch said, exposed "deep-seated shortcoming within the Council's work to date."

"Some states have pressed for discussion of human rights themes, rather than particular instances of human rights abuse, and have in the extreme argued that no 'country specific' situations should be addressed at the council," it added.

While thematic discussions on issues such as violence against women are important, those issues emerge in particular contexts, and limiting discussion to abstract principles saps thematic discussions of their value, it stressed.