[07. November 2011] Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International

The Chinese government should address the underlying causes of protests that have led 11 Tibetans to set themselves on fire since March 2011, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said today.

In a letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao on November 3, the human rights organizations called on the Chinese government to carry out a comprehensive review of the human rights situation across the Tibetan plateau and to end legal and policy restrictions that breach human rights in the region.

“Years of restrictions on Tibetans’ rights have led to further unrest and acts of desperation,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “It is clearly time for the Chinese government to fundamentally rethink its approach by listening to and addressing Tibetans’ grievances.” Read more