GENEVA - A United Nations panel that has been examining racial equality issues in China is expressing concern about religious freedom for ethnic minorities in Tibet, Xinjiang and other Chinese regions with minority populations.
In a provisional report prepared Thursday, the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination also urged China to ensure the promotion of local and regional culture and traditions and respect for the rights of the populations.
The report said there is concern within the U.N. racial discrimination panel with regard to the actual enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion, particularly in the Muslim part of Xinjiang and in Tibet.
The report cited China's efforts to raise the living standards of ethnic minorities, saying the committee welcomes China's efforts to promote economic and social development in economically backward regions inhabited essentially by minority populations.
The regions cited by the committee include Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Xinjiang, Guizhou, Yunnan and Qinhai.
The U.N. panel, set up under the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, evaluates racial discrimination practices based on reports filed by signatory countries.
AP-NY-08-09-01 1423EDT
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