On February 24, 2025, the Tibetan Community in Switzerland & Liechtenstein (TCSL) held a protest in front of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. Among the attendees were the president of the Association of Tibetans in France, members of pro-Tibet groups, the Vice President of TCSL, the Co-President of Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE), and staff from the Tibet Bureau-Geneva, as well as Christians from some Chinese house churches and The Church of Almighty God (CAG).
The protest took place on the opening day of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
At the demonstration, protesters held banners, signs, and photos of Christians who were persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Their resolute expressions drew the attention of both media and passersby.
The protest officially began at 11 a.m.
Kangrang Kalsang, Vice President of TCSL, was the first to speak. He urged UN representatives to pay attention to Tibet and conduct fact-based investigations into China, spotlighting human rights violations and the ongoing broader struggles under the CCP regime.
Phuntsok Topgyal, UN Advocacy Officer from the Tibet Bureau-Geneva, stated in his speech, “Today, we stand united not only as Tibetans but also with our Chinese Christian brothers and sisters to oppose the ongoing oppression of the CCP regime.”
Karma Dchen, Co-President of TYAE, stated in her speech: “For decades, Tibet has endured systematic oppression. Under Chinese rule, our cultural heritage, religious freedom, and basic human rights have been continually eroded.” She further emphasized that the CCP’s colonial boarding school policy for Tibetans constitutes cultural genocide.
Zhang Xuting, a CAG representative, stated in her speech: “In October 2024, the CCP arrested 648 of our church members in Jilin, China. Within just four days, two of them were persecuted to death. One was a 61-year-old sister whose body was covered in bruises. The other victim was only 49 years old. They both died due to the CCP’s persecution. Yet, the Chinese police falsely claimed that both had died of heart attacks.”
Ma Zhiyi, a representative of a Chinese house church, also spoke at the demonstration. He pointed out that the CCP has been forcing house churches to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, using strict surveillance, crackdowns, and arrests to suppress Christians’ freedom of belief. He also highlighted that the CCP exerts pressure on exiled Christians seeking asylum, causing many to face obstacles in their applications and leaving them in dire living conditions.
Protesters collectively called on the UN Human Rights Council to prioritize China’s human rights crisis and urged the international community to take action to protect the basic human rights of Chinese Christians and Tibetans.
After the speeches, protesters chanted slogans: “Resist persecution!” “Faith is no crime!” “Respect life!” CAG Christians then sang the hymn of God’s word “Satan Is the Source of All Wicked Things.”
This protest demonstrated the resolve of persecuted groups to unite in speaking out for human rights and religious freedom. After the event, protesters took group photos together.
