On March 10, 1959, Tibetans revolted against the Chinese government in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, but they were violently suppressed by the People’s Liberation Army. Since then, Tibetans in exile around the world have commemorated Tibetan Uprising Day on March 10. In Taiwan, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) was ratified in 2009 and incorporated into Taiwanese law.
According to the universal values of human rights espoused in the ICCPR and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), Taiwan’s government and society should voice their support for the Tibetans’ pursuits of democracy, self-determination and freedom of religion.
Tibetans’ pursuit of the right to self-determination should not be met with national or any other form of violence. Article 1 of the ICCPR stipulates that all people have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. Tibetans’ pursuit of self-determination, with a view to being able to determine their own political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development, is the fundamental right of citizens in the modern world. Hence, since the Tibetans’ pursuit is in line with the universal values of human rights, Taiwan — as a nation that has effectively implemented the ICCPR — should express its support for Tibetans’ declaration of self-determination in order to realize the universal values of human rights.
Article 18 of the ICCPR specifies that everyone should have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. This right shall include the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of their choice, and the freedom, either individually or in community with others — in public or private — to their religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching. Tibetans used to enjoy the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, but in the 21st century they have had to call on those in power to restore those basic rights to them through self-immolation, which is an intolerable situation in the modern world.
Freedom of religious choice is a fundamental right and as Taiwan’s Constitutional Interpretation No. 490 stipulates: Freedom of religious belief, one of the fundamental rights of the people, must be protected by the constitution of a modern state governed by the rule of law.
Article 4 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany also stipulates that freedom of faith and of conscience, and freedom to profess a religious or philosophical creed, must be inviolable. Democracies around the world generally believe that human conscience, thoughts and values are the basis for the protection of the freedom of religion. Only people themselves, and never governments, should have the final say on what their beliefs should be.
A normal, civilized government should uphold the principle of neutrality over a person’s religious beliefs. It is beyond a government’s abilities to judge which religion is “correct.” Neither does a government have the capability or authority to interpret religious doctrines. However, Tibetans’ declaration of faith, culture and self-determination has been handled by the Chinese government with brutal violence and this is unacceptable.
Since the ICCPR and the ICESCR have been ratified and incorporated into Taiwanese law, according to the right of self-determination and religion espoused by the ICCPR, Taiwan should voice its support for Tibetans’ human rights on Tibetan Uprising Day, and openly declare its support for democracy and the universal values of human rights.
Huang Di-ying is an attorney and Democratic Progressive Party spokesperson.
Translated by Ethan Zhan
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s (李顯龍) decision to step down after 19 years and hand power to his deputy, Lawrence Wong (黃循財), on May 15 was expected — though, perhaps, not so soon. Most political analysts had been eyeing an end-of-year handover, to ensure more time for Wong to study and shadow the role, ahead of general elections that must be called by November next year. Wong — who is currently both deputy prime minister and minister of finance — would need a combination of fresh ideas, wisdom and experience as he writes the nation’s next chapter. The world that
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, people have been asking if Taiwan is the next Ukraine. At a G7 meeting of national leaders in January, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that Taiwan “could be the next Ukraine” if Chinese aggression is not checked. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said that if Russia is not defeated, then “today, it’s Ukraine, tomorrow it can be Taiwan.” China does not like this rhetoric. Its diplomats ask people to stop saying “Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow.” However, the rhetoric and stated ambition of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Taiwan shows strong parallels with