The UN declaration of Human Rights promises “equal and inalienable rights of all members of the Human family”. Members of the UN signed this declaration because they knew that in the past “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind”.

However, the Chinese government is currently committing brutal human rights abuses against the citizens of Tibet and the UN is not taking the appropriate action. The full extent of these violations is unknown because the Chinese government has complete control over the information that goes in and out of Tibet. But we do know that,1.2 million people, a fifth of the country's population, were killed under Chinese rule since 1959. This breaches the most basic human right: “right to life” which is promised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 3.

Another Chinese human rights violation is the imprisonment and harsh treatment of peaceful protesters. In 2008, Chinese authorities arrested 6000 protesters and the whereabouts of a thousand are still unknown. In article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression”. However, the simple act of shouting “free tibet” at a local market can lead to torture. Torture that includes electric shocks, suspension in the air, cigarette burns, beatings, rape, attacks by dogs and solitary confinement. Article 5 explicitly states that “no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” and the Chinese government should be held responsible for the violation of this right.

Another fundamental principle declared in the UN Charter is sovereignty, which is the “absolute authority of the state to govern itself without outside interference” . The Chinese government’s involvement in Tibet is nothing if not interference. Although it claims that Tibet is a “Tibetan Autonomous Region”, the Chinese government still controls all of its political and economic structures. Furthermore, it encourages the immigration of Han Chinese immigrants who are rapidly settling in parts of Tibet. The city of Lhasa, for example, is now 60-70% Chinese. These Chinese immigrants, 95% of whom are employed in state-owned enterprises, are not only infiltrating the Tibetan cultural society but also taking away jobs and political positions from Tibetans. According to the United States Department human right report in May 2012, “ethnic Han Chinese Communist party members hold almost all top government, police, and military positions in Tibet”.

The UN must take action now and stop the Chinese infiltration of Tibetan society, economy and political structure.