Tratto da: www.tchrd.org tibetan centre for human right and democracy The right to freedom of religion 1.1. International Law The right to freedom of religion is entrenched in article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and article 18 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights1 (hereinafter ICCPR). In Tibet the Buddhist religion is also a deeply significant part of the cultural and ethnic identity of the Tibetan people. In addition therefore, their freedom of religion is protected as both a cultural right by article 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 (hereinafter ICESCR) and as a right of minority groups by article 27 of the ICCPR which states: In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language. The PRC authorities have particularly targeted religious institutions and initiates in Tibet, and the vicious religious clampdown in 1996 aims to stifle promotion of national independence and political dissent TOP