Press Briefing Invitation – For Immediate Release
29 April 2022
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

Rights activists gravely concerned about lack of consultation and transparency around Michelle Bachelet’s forthcoming visit to China

WHAT: Online press briefing with Tibetan, Uyghur, Hongkonger, Chinese and Southern Mongolian representatives ahead of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ visit to China in May 2022.

WHEN: Monday 2 May 2022 – 2 PM CET / 8 AM EST / 8 PM Beijing time

WHERE: This will be an online conference. NOTE: This is a closed session for the participation of journalists and will not be broadcast live. Please register to join HERE

WHO:
Zumretay Arkin, World Uyghur Congress – @ZumretErkin
Lhadon Tethong, Tibet Action Institute – @Lhadon
Joey Siu, Hong Kong Watch – @Jooeysiiu
Teng Biao, Chinese Human Rights Lawyer and Activist – @tengbiao
Togochog Enghebatu, Southern Mongolian Human Rights @ETogocho
Moderated by: Pema Doma, Students for a Free Tibet and representative of Tibet Advocacy Coalition @pema0_o

WHY: Tibetan, Uyghur, Hongkonger, Chinese and other affected communities have been appealing to the UN High Commissioner for meetings since she assumed office in 2018 to share information on the human rights situation and provide first-hand testimonies from survivors. After almost four years in post, Ms. Michelle Bachelet is now preparing to depart for a visit to China without having consulted with affected communities who continue to be shut out of discussions. The long-delayed report on East Turkistan (CH: Xinjiang) also remains nowhere to be seen despite well-founded allegations of genocide.

Bachelet’s visit to China will be the first by a UN High Commissioner in over 16 years, and if permitted access, it would be the first to Tibet in over 23 years.

Following the dispatch of the High Commissioner’s team to China on 24 April 2022, a panel of rights activists will share information about the High Commissioner’s failure to respond to and consult with affected communities, and to hold the Chinese authorities to account, bringing into serious question her commitment to deliver meaningful action to address the human rights crises facing those living under Chinese rule.

Tibetan, Uyghur, Hongkonger and Chinese leaders will raise a number of key points about crucial guarantees that they expect to be met ahead of Bachelet’s visit, including:

• Release of the OHCHR report on serious human rights violations in East Turkistan;
• Assurances of secure meetings with independent civil society organisations, human rights defenders and survivors of China’s human rights abuses including groups in the diaspora, in advance of the visit;
• The measures taken to date to ensure unfettered access to all areas including Tibet, East Turkistan and Hong Kong.Transparency about the measures taken to date to ensure unfettered access to all areas including Tibet, East Turkistan and Hong Kong.

REGISTER TO ATTEND THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE 

You will receive an email with a link to the video teleconference 2 hours ahead of the press conference. It will be possible for you to ask questions directly to the panel. Please register any questions ahead of time via email to [email protected]

CONTACTS:
Mandie McKeown, International Tibet Network, +44 (0)7748 158 618
Gloria Montgomery, Tibet Justice Center +44 (0)7541 362 001
Pema Doma, Students for a Free Tibet +1 6177 923 606