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US Congress resolution calls for UN seat for Taiwan

Thursday, 15 September 2011 07:46 Taipei Times

US Representative Scott Garrett has introduced a resolution to the US Congress declaring that Taiwan deserves membership in the UN.

Garrett, a Republican, did so as the UN General Assembly opened its annual session in New York.

“Year after year, the UN has failed to offer the 23 million people of Taiwan and their freely elected government representation on the world stage,” Garrett said. “The world body can no longer act as if the unelected communist government of the People’s Republic of China truly represents the interests of Taiwan. Currently, Taiwan is the only democratically governed nation in the world that does not enjoy a single vote in the General Assembly.”

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‘Extraordinarily tight’ control forcing monks to commit suicide in Tibet: US

Thursday, 15 September 2011 07:43 Phayul Stringer

DHARAMSHALA, September 14: “Control over religious practice and the day-to-day management of monasteries and other religious institutions continued to be extraordinarily tight” says a new report on religious freedom in Tibet adding that "several monks also reportedly committed suicide as a result of the harsh conditions and religious restrictions."

The US State Department in its annual report on International Religious Freedom released Tuesday expressed continued concern over the protection of fundamental human rights in Tibet citing that “the government's level of respect for religious freedom remained poor in Tibet”.

“Although China’s constitution protects religious freedom for all citizens but, in practice, the government generally enforced other laws and policies that restrict religious freedom,” the US State Department noted under the Tibet section of its report.