A/HRC/11/37 recommendations, including those in paragraph 82, would compel the Chinese authorities to revisit and review some issues affecting the Tibetan people, including Order No. 5, issued by the State Council of China, that interferes in an ancient religious procedure and tradition of the confirmation of reincarnates of Tibetan Buddhism, and ending the “strike hard” campaign and education programmes that forced Tibetans to denounce their spiritual leader. 548. In a joint statement, the Society for Threatened Peoples and Reporters without Borders noted that one of the many recommendations rejected by China concerned granting access to Tibetan areas, including for OHCHR and other United Nations bodies. It believed that this position contradicted China’s pledges and commitments to the Council. It urged the Chinese authorities to open Tibetan areas for visits, welcomed the authorities’ intention to invite the High Commissioner in response to the March 2008 request, and urged China to respond positively to a follow-up visit of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief. 549. Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié entre les peuples, in a joint statement with Interfaith International and the Asian Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Network, deeply regretted the fact that the majority of recommendations had not been accepted by China, including for the resumption of dialogue between the Government of China and representatives of the Dalai Lama. They believed that the present impasse had arisen after the rejection by the Chinese authorities of the requested memorandum on genuine autonomy for Tibetan people of 2007. They recommended that the authorities seriously engage with the Dalai Lama’s representatives, as urged by the Secretary-General, and introduce laws and regulations in accordance with the regional ethnic autonomy law. 550. Human Rights Watch listed the human rights issues on which China had rejected every recommendation. It drew attention to paragraphs 70, 71 and 104 of the report containing assertions that were manifestly removed from reality, noting the continued suppression of any reference to the Beijing massacre of peaceful protestors of 3 and 4 June 1989; to the fact that an individual faced State charges for having compiled a list of names of children killed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake; that the country’s once most prominent lawyer had disappeared for over six months after having been taken into custody; and that just a week earlier, more than 15 prominent human rights defenders had been victims of arbitrary disbarment on account of the sensitive nature of the cases they had represented. Human Rights Watch believed that China seemed to equate any expression of concern over the situation in Tibetan areas with attempts to politicize the issue. 551. The China Society for Human Rights Studies noted that the All-China Women’s Federation was working on a draft law concerning domestic violence, and hoped that it would be adopted soon. In a recent report, the China Society had expressed concern about the livelihood of migrant workers. Its recommendations had aroused the Government’s attention. The Society had carried out a project with OHCHR on civil society participation in the work of treaty bodies and hoped that China would continue to cooperate with OHCHR and consider future concrete technical cooperation projects. 4. Concluding remarks of the State under review 552. China thanked all for their support and encouragement. The Government of China would study carefully the comments and recommendations made by some countries and non-governmental organizations. China welcomed well-intentioned criticisms and constructive recommendations, but was resolutely against any assault or allegation out of political motive or prejudice, or fabrication of lies. 553. China wished to set the record straight. In Tibet, China had abolished, 50 years earlier, dark theocratic feudal serfdom, sparking historic socio-economic progress there. GE.09-16766 141

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