The United Nations wants China to give full details of the number of people killed in the March riots in Tibet, and it wants to know why officials haven't got rid of labour re-education camps.

The questions are among a long list China will have to answer during hearings being held by the UN Committee against Torture in Geneva in November.

Account for the detained

From the UK's Telegraph:

" …It demanded a list of all the people detained in connection with the riots in Tibet in March, including their current location and convictions. It also asked for an explanation as to why detainees were denied access to a doctor during their imprisonment both before and after trial …

" …the Committee also asked why China had ignored its recommendation to abolish "the Re-Education through Labour system", which sees dissidents sentenced to hard labour. "The system ... aims at altering the personality of the detainee [and] reportedly causes severe physical and mental pain and suffering," it said …

" …The UN also said it had heard that "the State party has established detention facilities especially to detain petitioners coming to Beijing" and asked for a full clarification, as well as for China to reveal the whereabouts of a number of high-profile dissidents and their legal representatives. It alleged that many of the dissidents had been "forcibly disappeared" …"

Breaching international law

Amnesty International's research says that detention without trial and torture – practices which breach international law and go against the Olympic Charter – are widespread in China.

'Re-education through labour' and other disciplinary detention schemes, like 'enforced drug rehabilitation' and 'custody and education', can be imposed for up to four years. Those detained aren't charged or tried.

And torture is known to have taken place in every type of Chinese detention facility, including police stations, prisons, 're-education centres' and even courtrooms.