At the request of the International Campaign for Tibet and the Tibetan government in exile, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal held a public session in Strasbourg from 16 to 20 November 1992.
The charges levelled against the People’s Republic of China can be summarised as follows: The entry of Chinese military forces into Tibet in 1949–1950 was an unlawful occupation, as Tibet was considered an autonomous state under international law at the time. The imposition of a system of government contrary to the will of the population violates the right to self-determination, including the division of Tibetan territory. During the session, the applicant organisations denounced serious and systematic violations of fundamental rights, including torture, inhuman treatment and punishment, and restrictions on civil and political freedoms.
In its Judgment, the Tribunal ruled that the Tibetan people had been deprived of their right to self-determination since 1950. The Tribunal also found that there had been serious violations of fundamental rights, including the suppression of religious freedom and freedom of expression, arbitrary arrests, the destruction of cultural and religious heritage, the use of torture and the transfer of Chinese populations with the aim of altering the territory’s ethnic composition. The Tribunal recognised the Tibetan people’s long-standing capacity for self-government, as well as the existence of a state structure dating back to 1911. It called on the international community to take measures to restore the violated rights.
Requesting Organisations:
International Campaign for Tibet
the Tibetan government in exile
Documentation: