Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, August 18: Washington based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) has expressed concern over the US State Department’s newly released 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices for Tibet, warning that its reduced scope risks undermining international accountability for China’s abuses in Tibet.
While the report, released on August 12, confirms ongoing violations such as torture, arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and restrictions on religious freedom, ICT says it “lacks the deep substance of past years” and is “more notable for what it does not include.” ICT points out that the 2024 report is less than half the length of the 2023 version and excludes critical sections on corruption, political prisoners, internet freedom, and the right of assembly and movement.
The absence of corruption is particularly striking, ICT noted, given the June 2024 conviction of Wu Yingjie, former Party Secretary of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, who was found guilty of embezzling 343 million yuan. “Excluding these sections does not change the fact that Tibetans continue to face persecution,” ICT stated. “Political prisoners remain in jail, surveillance of internet activity continues, and Tibetans’ freedoms of assembly, movement, and speech are heavily restricted.”
The Tibet advocacy group also underscored the report’s heavy reliance on Radio Free Asia (RFA) as a source for documenting abuses, including the sentencing of Tibetan activists and the arrest of monks. RFA’s Tibetan service, which had operated for nearly three decades, was shut down due to funding cuts, an outcome ICT strongly criticised.
“The credibility of RFA’s reporting is precisely why the State Department has historically used it,” ICT said. “Its closure deprives US diplomats and the international community of a unique resource for exposing China’s repression. Eliminating this source does not end abuses—it simply allows Beijing another layer of cover.” With Tibet closed to independent journalists, ICT emphasised the importance of a strong, detailed US human rights report as one of the few mechanisms to validate and publicise Tibetan accounts of Chinese repression.
“A robust report provides a comprehensive view of China’s machinery of repression,” ICT warned. “A weakened report risks leaving much of this reality obscured, enabling China to dismiss or explain away its ongoing abuses.” ICT has therefore urged the State Department to restore the fuller, more detailed structure of earlier reports to ensure continued support for US and international advocacy efforts on Tibet.
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, published annually since 1977, are among the most influential records of global human rights conditions. Mandated by the US Congress, they inform foreign policy, serve as a benchmark for international accountability, and provide vital documentation for activists, journalists, and asylum seekers.
Findings from the reports can directly influence whether countries receive US foreign assistance, military cooperation, or favorable trade terms. They also shape decisions on sanctions and diplomatic engagement. Internationally, the reports are widely seen as a benchmark in human rights documentation and are often cited by organizations such as the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other governments.
By diluting its Tibet section, ICT warned, the State Department risks weakening one of the few instruments available to hold Beijing accountable for its tightening grip on Tibet.
