The Tibetan Youth Congress would like to express its joy at the recent release of Aung San Suu Kyi after almost two decades of confinement.Aung San Suu Kyi is a symbol of courage, hope and the unwavering spirit of the human heart against might and brutal oppression.The release of Aung San Suu Kyi clearly portrays that pressure and tactful diplomacy by international bodies such as the United Nations and governments can help secure releases of political prisoners and castigate countries and governments for their blatant abuse of power and control over weaker nations and peoples if they earnestly willed.Today as we celebrate the 62nd Anniversary of the adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948, we would like to draw your attention to the historical fact that around the same time the Declaration was adopted and proclaimed, Tibet was brutally occupied by China. This marked the beginning of the end of enjoyment of human rights for Tibetans and the systematic abuse of these very rights enshrined in the Declaration. Torture, involuntary disappearances, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions, denial of religious, cultural rights and freedom of expression continue unabated in Tibet today. The most recent campaigns such as the introduction of Order no. 8 severely restricting religious freedom and replacing Tibetan language by mandarin as a medium of instruction in Tibetan schools is clearly a partial revival of the Cultural Revolution of Tibet that took place from 1966 to 1976. The only difference being that today the method is glossed over by the need for “education reform”. The massive transfer of Chinese population into Tibet has literally changed Tibet into a Chinese State. Additionally, heavy militarization, extensive mining, deforestation and damming endanger the fragile eco-system of the world’s third pole Tibet, which gravely affects the eco-system and security of the entire Asian Region.

Paradoxically, China’s insecurity surfaces when it shows obtuse arrogance by trying to compel countries to join in its boycott of the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony. This kind of flexing its muscles using their economic clout demonstrates their total lack of respecting and upholding human rights and human value. Against such a tyranny, the only weapon we have is – truth, history, confidence and the undying human spirit. These distinct qualities give us the strength to cultivate relentless collective spirit and the moral authority to expose the Chinese government’s atrocities in Tibet and its vulnerability.

It is a fact that Tibet has been and retains, the right to be, an independent country. Past and recent history teaches us that on-going injustices yield on-going dissatisfaction and sorrow for all concerned. The only solution for long-term stability and harmony in Tibet rests only with the full restoration of Tibet’s independence.

Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”. With this quote in our hearts, we pledge once again on this Human Rights Day that we will continue to fight for the freedom of the Tibetan people and our collective right to survive and exist as a free nation and its people.