FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON TIBET STATEMENT AT HRC

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 030502 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2018 TAGS: PHUM SUBJECT: FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS ON TIBET STATEMENT AT HRC REF: A. GENEVA 220 ¶B. STATE 30111 Classified By: IO Acting DAS Grover Joseph Rees ¶1. (C) SUMMARY and ACTION REQUEST: U.S. Mission Geneva is requested to continue discussions with the Slovenian delegation at the Human Rights Council (HRC),on behalf of the Presidency of the European Union (EU),and other allies and urge them to move forward with a statement on Tibet during the General Debate on Item 8 of the HRC agenda this week. Mission is instructed to deliver the statement provided in para 4 if it can be ascertained that the EU or others will raise the issue of Tibet during the session. Mission Geneva's reporting in reftel A indicates that the EU is still uncertain about whether it will speak on Tibet although some EU members, such as Sweden and Germany, are pressing for an EU statement. In the event that no delegation but the U.S. will be making any statement on Tibet, Mission is instructed to make the statement provided in para 5 below. (END SUMMARY) ¶2. (C) Background: Although the U.S. would like to see the EU take the lead on raising international concerns about the Chinese government's harsh suppression of peaceful protests that sparked the current serious unrest in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China as well as the cut-off of access to information by the Chinese government, reftel A indicates that the EU is still deciding whether to address these issues. According to Mission Geneva, other like-minded delegations are looking to the U.S. for leadership on this issue. Mission Geneva should draw from the points below in its continuing discussions with the EU and like-minded countries. ¶3. (U) Points to Make with EU and like-minded countries at the HRC: -- We understand that the EU and like-minded countries are still deciding whether they will raise the issue of Tibet during this HRC session, specifically under Item 8 General Debate. -- The U.S., as an observer state at the HRC, shares the concerns expressed in numerous statements by EU officials about the turmoil, violence and loss of life in Tibet. -- We are also concerned about the Chinese government's harsh rhetoric toward the protesters and the Dalai Lama, and its efforts to suppress all objective reporting of events. -- For the Human Rights Council to complete its session �00A;without any mention of this emergent and serious human rights situation would undermine any credibility that the body still possesses. -- We hope the EU will make a strong, unified statement of concern that calls on all sides to refrain from violence and urges the Chinese government to exercise restraint, to begin a dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his representatives, and to live up to its Beijing Olympic commitments on access to information. -- However, if the EU is unable to reach agreement on a unified statement, the U.S. will go forward with our own statement as an observer state. We hope other countries will also make individual statements. ¶4. (U) U.S. Text (revised) for Use in HRC if EU or Others Raise Tibet Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The U.S. associates itself with the statement made by the representative of the European Union on the situation in Tibet. The United States Government and the American people are deeply troubled by the reports in recent weeks of violence, arrests, and loss of life stemming from what began as peaceful protests in Lhasa. The demonstrations and protests have spread to other areas of China, including Tibetan regions in western Sichuan, southern Gansu, southern Qinghai and Yunnan provinces. We also are concerned by the lack of objective, on-the-ground reporting from Tibetan areas due to the government's refusal to allow access to the areas by foreign journalists, diplomats and international observers. Restrictions on the access of foreign media to Tibetan areas of China run counter to China's Olympic bid commitments. We are concerned about official Chinese rhetoric and the blocking of independent reporting on the events. Secretary Rice has called for the Chinese government to SIPDIS exercise restraint in dealing with the protests and for all sides to refrain from violence. We again urge Beijing to engage in a substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama directly and through his representatives in order to address long-standing tensions in Tibetan areas regarding profound issues of religious freedom, cultural preservation, and economic development. 5.(U) U.S. Text for Use in HRC if EU or Other Like-Minded Delegations Do NOT Raise Tibet Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My government believes it would be unfortunate if the Council did not acknowledge the situation in Tibet. The United States Government firmly believes in the principle stated in the Vienna declaration that "it is the duty of States, regardless of their political, economic and cultural systems, to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms." The United States Government and the American people are deeply troubled by the reports of violence, arrests, and loss of life stemming from what began as peaceful protests in Lhasa. We are also concerned by the lack of objective, on-the-ground reporting from Tibetan areas. The Chinese government's refusal to allow access to Tibetan areas for foreign journalists runs contrary to China's Olympic bid commitments on media access and only contributes to the impression that the government has something to hide. Secretary Rice has called on the Chinese government to SIPDIS exercise restraint in dealing with the protesters, and on all sides to refrain from violence. We again urge Beijing to engage in a substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama directly and through his representatives in order to address long-standing tensions in Tibetan areas regarding profound issues of religious freedom, cultural preservation, and economic development. RICE