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The Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC) released its annual report on December 20, highlighting severe human rights violations in Tibet. The report indicates a lack of interest from Chinese officials in resuming negotiations with the Dalai Lama, with the last discussions occurring in January 2010. It details ongoing restrictions on Tibetan religious practices, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, including bans on worship during significant events and limited access to monasteries.
Focusing on ongoing human rights abuses by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the CECC focused on the complicity of US and foreign corporations with CCP oppression. Pinpointing the actions of Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose DNA sequencers had been used by police in Tibet and Xinjiang to compile DNA databases of Tibetans and Uyghurs, the commission expressed apprehension that the technology could be misused for organ transplantation practices considering the existing accusations of forced organ harvesting in the PRC.
The CECC maintains a comprehensive database of political prisoners in China, providing valuable insights into the state of human rights and religious freedom. Of the 2,764 records of prisoners known or believed to be detained, 1,686 contained information about their religious affiliation. Notably, Tibetan Buddhism represents the largest religious group among these prisoners. 678 prisoners are affiliated with Tibetan Buddhism, making it the most represented religious group in the database. The database also reveals significant information about the ethnic background of detainees. Out of 1,693 active detentions with available ethnic information, 790 are ethnically Tibetan. This data underscores the disproportionate targeting of Tibetans and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism by Chinese authorities. The high number of Tibetan detainees, both in terms of religious affiliation and ethnicity, highlights the ongoing suppression of Tibetan culture, religion, and identity within China-occupied Tibet.
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