Human rights situation in Tibet deteriorating, says NGO

Dharamsala: The human rights situation in Tibet is deteriorating despite the promise of reforms by the Chinese government, an NGO said here Sunday.

The human rights situation in Tibet is deteriorating, particularly death in detention, collective punishment and restrictions imposed on the right to freedom of assembly and association, the annual report of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) stressed.

It said Tibetan prisoners are subjected to torture, beatings and denial of medical care. "In 2014, an increasing number of Tibetans died because of mistreatment in detention," the 2014 annual report said.

TCHRD executive director Tsering Tsomo highlighted the consistent and systematic problems with healthcare and education in Tibet.

He said the report has uncovered disturbing trends in the official census data of Tibet that showed education and healthcare for Tibetans has fallen.

The 206-page report addressed the violation of civil and political rights, including the right to privacy, and the expansion of the security state, economic, social and cultural rights, and the resettlement of Tibetan nomads.

TCHRD is a non-governmental organisation based in Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government in exile.