DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON TIBET STATEMENT IN HUMAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L GENEVA 000220 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018 TAGS: PHUM UNHRC SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED ON TIBET STATEMENT IN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL REF: STATE 30111 Classified By: Political Counselor Michael Klecheski. Reasons: 1.4(b/d ). ¶1. (C) PolCouns delivered reftel demarche to Eva Tomic, Political Counselor at the Slovenian Mission in Geneva, on the morning of March 24. Tomic said she would pass the content of our demarche to EU PermReps ahead of their meeting, to be held on the morning of March 25, at which they will decide whether to include reference to Tibet in the EU's Item 8 statement, to be presented later that day. ¶2. (C) Tomic believed it unlikely that the EU would do a stand-alone statement on Tibet. As currently envisioned, the EU's Item 8 statement would contain one paragraph on Tibet, with other paragraphs on the universality of human rights, the rights of women and children, protection of human rights defenders, and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation. The draft paragraph on Tibet includes elements linking the situation to the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action (Item 8),saying the EU is "deeply concerned" with developments in Tibet, calling for restraint on all sides, urging the Chinese government to avoid use of force and demonstrators to desist from violence, and calling for freedom of religion and belief. Tomic added that the current draft, which is based largely on the EU's March 17 statement on the subject, lacks several elements contained in our demarche, including restrictions on information flow. She promised to pass these along for consideration. ¶3. (C) According to Tomic, some EU members are nervous about mentioning Tibet in the Council. (Note: While she did not specify, we have heard that Cyprus is among these.) Some, by contrast, including Germany, are pushing for a strong statement and might even make national statements as well. The Swedish delegation here has also told us it hopes for a strong statement. ¶4. (C) Switzerland's Political Counselor told us March 24 that her government had prepared an Item 8 statement that includes a paragraph on Tibet, but had yet to make a decision on whether to use it. The Australian delegation had earlier told us they were hoping to raise Tibet in the Council as well, but were waiting to see how other delegations would proceed. STORELLA