{"id":3455,"date":"2020-10-30T06:02:54","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T05:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/?page_id=3455"},"modified":"2023-10-27T07:12:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-27T06:12:43","slug":"about-2020","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/about-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"About-2020"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_small\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row type_default valign_top\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">[ultimate_heading]\n<h1 class=\"western\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 28px;\">Concept Note<span lang=\"en-US\">&#8211;<\/span> Third Geneva Forum, 2020<\/span><\/h1>\n[\/ultimate_heading]<div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs layout_hor style_default switch_click icon_chevron iconpos_right title_atleft\"><div class=\"w-tabs-list hidden items_5\"><div class=\"w-tabs-list-h\"><a class=\"w-tabs-item active\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535554097-12713b77-004f\" href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"w-tabs-item-title\">Introduction<\/span><\/a><a class=\"w-tabs-item\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535554151-b5ac5afd-c4fd\" href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"w-tabs-item-title\">Central Theme<\/span><\/a><a class=\"w-tabs-item\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535820799-33b475bf-f937\" href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"w-tabs-item-title\">Objective<\/span><\/a><a class=\"w-tabs-item\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535824165-4b5e1306-58c4\" href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"w-tabs-item-title\">Methodology<\/span><\/a><a class=\"w-tabs-item\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535912299-0d010a54-c7fe\" href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"w-tabs-item-title\">Expected Outcomes<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-sections\"><div class=\"w-tabs-sections-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section active\" id=\"1604535554097-12713b77-004f\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header active\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535554097-12713b77-004f\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-header-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">Introduction<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-1604535554097-12713b77-004f\" aria-expanded=\"true\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>The human rights situation in the People\u2019s Republic of China has been seeing a downward trend since its inception in 1949. In recent times, it has only gone worse. China is now playing an increasingly aggressive role in challenging universally accepted principles of human rights and the UN human rights protection and assessment mechanism. In order to preserve the international human rights system and to bring forth the ground realities in China to counter China&#8217;s propaganda, a forum focusing on human rights in China has become more crucial than ever.<\/p>\n<p>The first Geneva Forum was held on 2 November 2018 in the backdrop of China\u2019s third Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council. It brought together a select group of human rights experts, practitioners, academicians, activists, diplomats, advocates and activists for a day-long forum to report and discuss the \u201chuman rights situation in regions under the People\u2019s Republic of China.\u201d It had representations from all the regions including Tibet, East Turkestan (CHN:Xinjiang), Southern Mongolia (CHN: Inner Mongolia) and Hong Kong and also the affected country like Taiwan.<\/p>\n<p>Following its huge success and based on the overwhelming feedback, it was decided to hold the Geneva Forum as an annual event. The second edition of Geneva Forum was scaled up to a 2-day long forum to discuss \u201cChina\u2019s high-tech repression and freedom of religion.\u201d On 14-15 November 2019 human rights experts, researchers, practitioners, parliamentarians, diplomats, technology experts, civil society groups, activists and journalists convened for the Geneva Forum 2019. The highlight of the forum was a declaration titled, \u201cGeneva Forum Declaration 2019\u201d by all the speakers, experts, defenders, witnesses and participants calling upon China, UN, governments and international community to take note and stop China from violating human rights.<\/p>\n<p>The Geneva Forum on Human Rights has evolved to be a unique platform for human rights experts, practitioners, academicians, activists, governments, diplomats, think tanks, civil society groups and the affected groups to monitor and evaluate the human rights situation in regions under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) including Tibet, East Turkestan (CHN: Xinjiang), Southern Mongolia (CHN: Inner Mongolia) and Hong Kong. By bringing together a diverse group of individuals, organizations and institutions, the Forum aims to examine a coordinated multilateral approach to challenge and hold China accountable for its worsening human rights record.<\/p>\n<p>Due to the Wuhan-originated COVID-19 pandemic and for ensuring the safety and well-being of all the speakers and participants, the third edition of the Geneva Forum will be held virtually. The two-day Geneva Forum for this edition will be converted into a <b>Virtual Geneva Forum Week<\/b> starting from 9 to 13 November 2020. The Geneva Forum will be inaugurated with an inaugural panel on 9 November. From 10 to 13 November, each day one panel discussion will be held with the final panel and a short closing note on 13 November 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section\" id=\"1604535554151-b5ac5afd-c4fd\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535554151-b5ac5afd-c4fd\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-header-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">Central Theme<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-1604535554151-b5ac5afd-c4fd\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>The theme for the Third Geneva Forum 2020 is \u201cChina\u2019s Policy on Freedom of Religion: Global Impact.\u201d The forum will report and deliberate on the declining freedom of religion in regions under China leading to religious persecution. It will also touch upon the constant interferences by the Chinese government in the religious practices of believers including the selection of their religious leaders, case in point being the continuous Chinese intrusions in the centuries old Tibetan Buddhist practice of recognition of reincarnated lamas and in particular its intention to meddle in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lamas. The forum will also discuss the larger ramifications of the Vatican\u2019s agreement to recognize the Bishops appointed by China.<\/p>\n<p><b>Detailed Narration of the Central Theme:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>China is one of the worst violators of freedom of religion and belief. Even though the Chinese government recognizes five religious groups namely Buddhists, Taoists, Muslims, Catholics, and Protestants under the umbrella of \u201cPatriotic Religious Associations\u201d, it continues to meddle in to control their religious beliefs and traditions. Religious groups outside of the government\u2019s control are referred to as \u201cheterodox teachings\u201d (CHN: <i>xie jiao<\/i>), which subjects them to torture, physical abuse, arrest, detention, imprisonment, and harassment. Evidence is mounting about potential adverse human rights impacts on religious minorities in China, including Tibetan-Buddhists, Protestants, Muslims, Falun Gong practitioners and Catholics.<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese government has already abducted the 11th Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima within three days of his recognition by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In fact this year is the 25th year since the enforced disappearance of the Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima on 17 May 1995. In his place, the CCP has appointed their own Panchen Lama after rigging the selection process to ensure that a son of Communist party member\u2019s son is installed into one of the highest religious seats of Tibet.<\/p>\n<p>The CCP\u2014officially an atheist party\u2014is now insistent on interfering with the appointment of the next His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For decades, Chinese authorities have attacked and denounced His Holiness as a \u201cwolf in monk\u2019s robes\u201d and a \u201cdangerous splittist\u201d. However, they now want to have a say in his succession.<\/p>\n<p>From regulating online religious activities to demolishing two of the largest Tibetan Buddhist institutes, Larung Gar and Yachen Gar by evicting more than 10,000 monks and nuns and subjecting them to \u201cpatriotic re-education camps\u201d, China has been consistently persecuting the Tibetan Buddhists with impunity. Six UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint statement to China condemning the mass expulsions from the two religious institutes. In a sharply worded statement, the rapporteurs expressed \u201cgrave concern [&#8230;] over the serious repression of the Buddhist Tibetans\u2019 cultural and religious practices and learning in Larung Gar and Yachen Gar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>New administrative measures have been introduced to allow China to control internal monastic affairs through the monastic management committees of the institutes controlling a range of areas including admissions, management, finances, security and administrative matters. China has been meddling with the religious traditions of Tibetan Buddhists. In January 2007, China\u2019s State Administration of Religious Affairs issued a new regulatory measure called \u201cOrder No. 5\u201d on \u201cmanagement measures for the reincarnation of living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism.\u201d The decree makes it compulsory for all the Tulkus (reincarnated teachers) to register and get government approval to practice. Article 2 of the regulation says that \u201creincarnating living Buddhas shall not be interfered with or be under the dominion of any foreign organization or individual\u201d and shall be (Article 7) \u201crecognized by the provincial or autonomous regional Buddhist Association or the China Buddhist Association in accordance with religious rituals and historically established systems.\u201d Currently China has been keeping a database of \u201cliving Buddha\u201d authorised by the government in complete disregard to the religious traditions and beliefs of Tibetans.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly Muslims in China are also facing persecution. China has detained upwards of 1 million Uighurs in detention camps and re-education centres aimed at \u201ccuring\u201d Uighurs Muslims of their religion and grooming them to be loyal to the CCP. Inside the camps, detainees are forced to learn Chinese, sing patriotic songs, as well as memorize rules applicable to Uighurs and other Muslims such as not speaking Uighur language in public. With Chen Quanguo appointment as the Party Secretary of East Turkestan (CHN: Xinjiang) in 2016, the grid-strategy implemented in Tibet has become the blueprint for crackdown on millions of Uighurs in the region. After Quanguo took power, the number of police-related job advertisements skyrocketed from 9000 job posts pre-2016 to 32, 000 in 2016, and over 60,000 in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>The CCP has come down strongly on Christians as well, particularly the house churches. Many house churches have been forcibly shut down along with their pastors and leaders being arrested and sentenced. Around 500 house church leaders signed a statement narrating the instances of forceful removal of crosses from buildings, forceful hoisting of Chinese flags, singing of patriotic songs and barring of minors from attending the congregations. The sale of Bibles are controlled and barred from being sold online. The Bibles are being translated according to State\u2019s perception and to make it more \u201cChinese.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Falun Gong practitioners were also persecuted in 1999. The CCP banned its practice and carried out nation-wide persecution of the followers of Falun Gong. The authorities mobilized the state media apparatus, judiciary, police, army, the education system, families and workplaces against the group.\u00a0The China Tribunal passed a judgement calling China a criminal state for carrying out systematic torture,\u00a0illegal imprisonment, forced labour,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Organ_harvesting_from_Falun_Gong_practitioners_in_China\">organ harvesting<\/a> and abusive psychiatric measures, with the apparent aim of forcing practitioners to recant their belief in Falun Gong. Foreign observers estimate that hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of Falun Gong practitioners have been detained in \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Re-education_through_labor\">re-education through labour<\/a>\u201d camps, prisons and other detention facilities for refusing to renounce spiritual practice.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section\" id=\"1604535820799-33b475bf-f937\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535820799-33b475bf-f937\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-header-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">Objective<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-1604535820799-33b475bf-f937\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p><b>Objective<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The 2020 Geneva Forum aims to achieve 3 crucial objectives:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>To understand and analyse the religious persecution being carried out in territories under Chinese rule;<\/li>\n<li>To bring forth the global impact of the repressive policies of CCP on religious freedom;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul>\n<li>To strategize and develop multilateral co-ordinated efforts to stop Chinese government\u2019s interferences in selection of religious figures and leaders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section\" id=\"1604535824165-4b5e1306-58c4\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535824165-4b5e1306-58c4\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-header-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">Methodology<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-1604535824165-4b5e1306-58c4\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p>The one-week virtual forum will be structured into four different panels, each with a specific area of focus. The panel discussion will take the form of a participatory dialogue and also receive questions from live audience. The Forum shall,\u00a0<i>inter alia,\u00a0<\/i>bring together China focused human rights groups and representatives of various religious groups with the goal of setting up a coordinated multilateral approach in challenging China&#8217;s deteriorating human rights record. The Forum shall also examine the role of governments, private sectors, international organizations, and civil society groups in addressing religious persecution in China.<\/p>\n<p>To accommodate speakers and audiences from different parts of the world, we have decided to hold one panel discussion per day spread across a week. The Virtual Geneva Forum Week will commence on 9 November 2020 with an inaugural panel followed by four panels on each day and culminate on 13 November 2020. The panel discussions will generally be held for one and half hours and the timings would be 7 to 8:30 pm (India time), 2:30 to 5:00 pm (Geneva time) and 8:30 to 10: 00 am (New York time).<\/p>\n<p><b>Virtual Geneva Forum Week Schedule<\/b><\/p>\n<p>[Timings: 7 to 8:30 pm (India time), 2:30 to 4:00 pm (Geneva time) and 8:30 to 10: 00 am (New York time]<\/p>\n<p>9 Nov. 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 : Inaugural Panel<\/p>\n<p>10 Nov. 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 : Panel 1: China&#8217;s Policy on Freedom of Religion under the Global Framework<\/p>\n<p>11 Nov. 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 : Panel 2: Religious Persecution: Crackdown on People of Faith in China<\/p>\n<p>12 Nov. 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 : Panel 3: Tibetan Buddhist System of Reincarnation and Why China wants to control it?<\/p>\n<p>13 Nov. 2020\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 : Panel 4: Countering China&#8217;s Persecution of Believers: Way Forward<\/p>\n<p><b>Platform<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The Geneva Forum 2020 will be held via BlueJeans app which will be broadcasted live on Tibet TV networks. Live questions (form of comments) will be accepted from the audience.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section\" id=\"1604535912299-0d010a54-c7fe\"><button class=\"w-tabs-section-header\" aria-controls=\"content-1604535912299-0d010a54-c7fe\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-header-h\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-title\">Expected Outcomes<\/div><div class=\"w-tabs-section-control\"><\/div><\/div><\/button><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content\" id=\"content-1604535912299-0d010a54-c7fe\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><div class=\"w-tabs-section-content-h i-cf\"><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">The Geneva Forum expects to build a network of organizations and experts focusing on human rights and religious freedom in China to help develop coordinated efforts to challenge and improve China&#8217;s human rights record. It also expects to strengthen mainstream media attention and public discourse on the deteriorating human rights record in the most remote parts under the rule of the CCP.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><div class=\"wpb_text_column\" ><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><h3 style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Virtual Geneva Forum Week<\/b><span lang=\"en-US\"><b> 9 \u2013 13 November, 2020<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<table style=\"border-collapse: collapse; width: 99.3014%; height: 447px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 48px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 18.1618%; height: 48px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Theme <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.9413%; height: 48px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">China\u2019s Policy on Freedom of Religion: Global Impact<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 96px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 18.1618%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Participants <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.9413%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Religious leaders, experts, scholars, researchers, human rights activists, civil societies, diplomats and the like.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 96px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 18.1618%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Date &amp; location <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.9413%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">9-13 November 2020, Virtual<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 96px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 18.1618%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Organizer <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.9413%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Tibet Bureau, Place de Navigation 10, Geneva 1201<\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 96px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 18.1618%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Contact information <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 80.9413%; height: 96px;\">\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ph: +41 227387940 | email: genevaforum@tibetoffice.ch<b><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"w-separator size_medium\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"l-section wpb_row height_small\"><div class=\"l-section-h i-cf\"><div class=\"g-cols vc_row type_default valign_top\"><div class=\"vc_col-sm-12 wpb_column vc_column_container\"><div class=\"vc_column-inner\"><div class=\"wpb_wrapper\"><div class=\"w-btn-wrapper width_auto align_center\"><a class=\"w-btn us-btn-style_1 icon_atleft\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/Geneva-Forum-Information-Booklet-latest.pdf\" rel=\"noopener\"><i class=\"fas fa-download\"><\/i><span class=\"w-btn-label\">Download<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[ultimate_heading] Concept Note- Third Geneva Forum, 2020 [\/ultimate_heading]IntroductionCentral ThemeObjectiveMethodologyExpected OutcomesIntroduction The human rights situation in the People\u2019s Republic of China has been seeing a downward trend since its inception in 1949. In recent times, it has only gone worse. China is now playing an increasingly aggressive role in challenging universally accepted principles of human rights...","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3455","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3455"}],"version-history":[{"count":33,"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4832,"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3455\/revisions\/4832"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tibetoffice.ch\/genevaforum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}