2/12/05: Special Rapporteur |
Special Rapporteur on Torture finds "palpable level of fear" in China/Tibet fact finding mission
The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Dr Manfred Nowak, has issued a detailed statement at the close of his fact-finding visit to China, Tibet and Xinjiang. The Special Rapporteur stated that he believes the practice of torture, though on the decline - particularly in urban areas - remains widespread in China.Dr Nowak's statement includes: "In his interviews with detainees, the Special Rapporteur observed a palpable level of fear and self-censorship, which he had not experienced in the course of his previous missions. A considerable number of detainees did not express a willingness to speak with the Rapporteur, and several of those who did requested absolute confidentiality."
Alison Reynolds, Director of Free Tibet Campaign commented: "Dr Nowak's findings are regrettable but no surprise to Tibet campaigners. We urge the UN to do all it can to ensure that there are no reprisals taken against any individual who spoke to the Special Rapporteur. Furthermore, we urge Dr Nowak to supplement his fact-finding with a visit to Dharamsala, to talk to recently arrived Tibetan refugees who can give testimony without the fear their countrymen and women in Tibet face."
Although Dr Nowak recognised that the Chinese government has undertaken a number of measures to tackle torture, and commended individuals in China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their professionalism, cooperation, and shared commitment to the objectives of the mission, he reported that other Ministries, including State Security and Public Security, attempted to obstruct or restrict his attempts at fact-finding. "The team were frequently under surveillance by intelligence personnel and a number of alleged victims and family members were intimidated by security personnel, placed under police surveillance, instructed not to meet the Special Rapporteur, or physically prevented from meeting with him."
Dr Nowak listed a number of serious shortcomings in China's efforts to control torture, including the lack of an independent monitoring mechanism of all places of detention, and a functional complaints mechanism. In the Tibetan Autonomous Region, Dr Nowak was told that no complaint had been received since 2003. Dr Nowak is fully aware that this does not mean there were no incidences of torture in Drapchi prison 2003, and Free Tibet Campaign strongly urges him to visit Dharamsala, where prisoners released from Drapchi since 2003 are in a position to provide testimony concerning their treatment.