E/CN.4/1995/91 page 131 imprisoned lamas have the necessary religious knowledge. Mr. Yulo Dawa Tsering expressed concern on two matters, firstly, the fact that monks jailed for demonstrating and poster campaigns were excluded from places of worship upon their release and, secondly, the international community’s concept of the history of Tibet. He also voiced his disquiet over the fate of Mr. Lobsang Tenzin, imprisoned for having attempted to hand over a letter addressed to an ambassador which had been intercepted by an interpreter. He concluded by expressing his hopes regarding the international community, in particular, should his meeting with the Special Rapporteur have negative consequences for him. c. Restrictions The Special Rapporteur transmitted to the Chinese authorities information on cases of members of religious orders and believers in Shanghai and in the provinces of Hebei, Henan and Fujian who were subjected to restrictions, (restriction of movement, surveillance by the police, loss of political rights), (see appendix 1). In their reply (see appendix 2), the authorities informed the Special Rapporteur that no restrictions existed. With regard to the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Commission on Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Tibet Autonomous Region confirmed that Tibetan nuns and monks who had served their sentences were prohibited from returning to any place of worship (convent or monastery) if the acts of which they had been convicted constituted counter-revolutionary crimes, (such as demonstrating for Tibetan independence). According to the authorities, this measure was intended to prevent breaches of public order in places of worship and did not apply to those convicted of ordinary crimes. E. Conclusions and recommendations The Special Rapporteur’s visit to China afforded a better understanding of the present situation in that country. Through all the information received from various governmental and non-governmental sources and from various talks and visits, he was able to observe some developments in the human-rights situation in China, especially as far as tolerance of and non-discrimination against religion or belief were concerned. Some aspects of these developments represent progress, while others call for correction and improvement. The Special Rapporteur is aware of the complexity of the situation in China, a vast, densely populated, multi-religious, multi-ethnic territory which has to come terms with and reconcile many factors, or even contradictions, such as the atheism and marxist doctrine espoused by most of the population, the spread of religious movements, and the need to strike a balance between non-interference and national political sensibilities on the one hand and the requisite respect for human rights on the other. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur was therefore able to perceive the beginnings of a trend which should become one of steady change, accommodating itself to, and thus unhindered by, the passage of time. It must bring changes in legislation on religious freedom and its application, as well as in policy on the matter. The Special Rapporteur believes that substantial progress has been made in the field of laws on religious freedom. Article 147 of the Penal Code