by Dhardhophonya ( editor [at] thetibetpost.com )
Sep 16, 2009

Dharamsala: In her keynote speech at the 12th session of the Human Rights
Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights, condemned the recent outbreaks of violence in the various
autonomous regions of China, including Tibet. She called upon the Chinese
government to "reflect on the underlying causes of such incidents, which
include discrimination, and the failure to protect minority rights."

Specifically, Pillay urged Chinese authorities to release peaceful
protesters that are still in detention, and to investigate reports of their
abuse. She went on to address the Human Rights Council directly, stating
that all member states had an obligation "to confront violations wherever
and whenever they take place. A failure to rise to this challenge would
constitute a betrayal of the victims of human rights violations all over the
world," and a responsibility "to protect human rights defenders, as well as
the press, from any form of violence, intimidation or discrimination, and to
hold accountable those who are responsible for any such acts of violence,
intimidation or discrimination."