Geneva: China should end its domestic censorship of news about Tibet and allow foreign journalists unhindered access to the region, six UN human rights experts said today.

"The (Chinese) government is called upon to lift restrictions imposed on the media, including Internet websites, that limit access throughout China to information concerning the Tibetan Autonomous Region," said a joint statement by six UN-appointed investigators.

China tightly controls public opinion by censoring news related to the 1989 crackdown on democracy activists in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan or Tibet.

According to anecdotal reports, Internet controls in China have increased recently, with Tibet reports on foreign news sites blocked and Tibet-related discussions on domestic chat sites censored, the UN experts said.

They also said China should allow full access to independent observers and journalists wanting to travel to Tibet.

Government-organized trips to Tibet "are no substitute for granting access to those United Nations experts who have requested a visit to China," the experts said.

The Chinese government has been reluctant to allow outsiders to visit Tibet independently since images of pro-independence protesters clashing with security forces provoked sharp criticism from human rights groups, with some calling for a boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer.

Today's statement was signed by Philip Alston, Ambeyi Ligabo, Asma Jahangir, Hina Jilani, Gay McDougall and Manfred Nowak, who all act as independent experts for the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.

Source : PTI