The Secret Tibet (The Forbidden world)

(The Tibet Post International 11 November 2008) GENEVA--China dodged the tough questions before the United Nations Committee Against Torture (CAT) on Monday, citing the country’s State Secrets Law to avoid providing detailed information on instances of torture and abuse.

Thirty-two Chinese delegates appeared before the ten-member UN committee, led by Chinese ambassador to the UN Li Baodong.

The CAT is examining China’s use of violence against dissidents, democracy activists, minority groups, human rights campaigners, and Tibetans. Nineteen reports on torture and other human rights violations from independent human rights groups, including Amnesty International, Conscience Foundation, and Human Rights in China, have been submitted to the UN as part of this review.

As a State Party to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment since ratifying it in 1988, China must submit a report every four years and come under review on how the human rights outlined by the convention are being implemented and protected. Under the convention torture is defined as “any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him information or a confession.”

Li said that China has zero tolerance for torture and has implemented strict laws to punish anyone who intimidates, harasses, or injures those in state custody.

But any state information on any wrongdoings or unusual deaths in prison is classified as state secrets, which keeps any statistics from being divulged to outsiders. “We cannot do an accurate, complete assessment if there is not accurate, transparent, reliable data,” said Sharon Hom of Human Rights in China. “The Chinese delegation as a whole has not given data on enforcement, they have given data on the formal law.”

Li also defended the actions of Chinese police responding to the protests and demonstrations that broke out around Tibet earlier in March.  Some human rights groups have reported as many as 200 people were killed in the Lhasa protests and many more have been detained and tortured.

Li reported that more than 1,200 detainees have “redeemed themselves and been released” and “are living a normal life and their rights are protected.”

Chinese delegation member Shen Yang also reported to the UN that Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the Panchen Lama recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and his family are “leading a normal life and they don’t want to be disturbed.” Nyima disappeared in 1995, at the age of six, and has not been seen or heard from by outsiders since. Human rights groups say the Chinese have been keeping him, now age 19, under house-arrest since his disappearance, which would make him the world’s youngest political prisoner.