TRENTON: A resolution sponsored by Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula to put the General Assembly on-record against recent civil rights abuses in Tibet passed this week by a vote of 79-0. "The reported abuses in Tibet violate more than the civil rights of the Tibetan people.

They also violate our sense of decency and humanity as a civilized society," said Chivukula (D-Somerset/Middlesex). "Tibet may literally be half a world away from New Jersey, but its people need to know that, in our corner of the world, the hardships they are enduring will not be ignored." The United States Department of State has reported that China has engaged in various human rights restrictions and abuses, including torture, arbitrary arrest and imprisonment.

Tibetan citizens also face employment discrimination and have limited access to the training and permits required to conduct business. Tibetans – especially nuns and monks – are not free to travel or move freely, and China also has reportedly denied Tibetans’ rights to privacy and free association by censoring correspondence, monitoring and disrupting telephone and Internet services, and limiting religious practices.

In March, the U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China to respect the human rights of all of its citizens, including those living in Tibet. Chivukula called on China to live up to its obligations as a founding member of the United Nations.

The international organization’s charter calls for all members "to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples." "As the eyes of the world descend upon the Beijing Olympics, China must be sent a clear message that its iron-fisted handling of Tibet will not be overlooked," said Chivukula.

An authenticated copy of Chivukula’s resolution (AR-122) will be transmitted to the US Secretary of State and the Chinese Ambassador to the United States.

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