ls for China Resolution at the 59th UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR)
Brussels, 31 January – The European Parliament adopted a resolution on priorities and recommendations for the 59th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights (www.unhchr.ch) on 29 January which called upon the European Union (EU) “to strongly condemn – in a resolution on human rights violations in Tibet – the fact that Lobsang Dhondup (aged 28) was executed despite the appeal made by the European Parliament in its resolution of 19 December 2002 and the request made by the international community.”
The resolution expressed concern that no resolutions were adopted on China, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Colombia, North Korea, Russian, Iran and Zimbabwe at the 58th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights, despite calls from the Parliament on the European Union to sponsor or co-sponsors texts.
Aware of the highly confrontational atmosphere during the 58th session of UNCHR and highly concerned about the negative trends to weaken the UNCHR’s role as a defender of human rights and liberties, the resolution “calls on the EU Presidency to sponsor or support resolutions on: China, in particular addressing the situation in Tibet and Xinjiang” and a number of countries.
A day earlier the Greek Presidency of the European Union (www.eu2003/gr/en) while addressing the European Parliament about EU’s preparation for the 59th UNCHR said: “You are aware that our central policy axes are abolition of the death penalty and torture practices, elimination of discrimination against women and protection of children from exploitation. Respect for such principles should govern all aspects of our foreign policy, even in cases where this could entail a certain degree of economic or political cost. Such a stance constitutes a guarantee for our credibility.”
The European Union is yet to make any public statement over the secret execution of Lobsang Dhondup. However, information received from several countries indicate that the EU’s Troika (Greece, Denmark and Italy) with the participation of Norway and Switzerland had issued a “strong and urgent demarche” to the Chinese authorities on 28 January.
However, two members (United Kingdom and Germany) of the EU have issued public statements. Germany for example in a statement said: “Already on 27 January the German Embassy made a d?marche to the Chinese Foreign Ministry in this connection. The Federal Government has proposed to its EU partners that the EU should formally protest in Peking concerning both the content of the proceedings and the speed with which they have been handled. The cases of Tenzin and Lobsang will also be on the agenda of the human rights dialogue which Germany and China recently agreed to resume.”
The full text of the European Parliament Resolution will shortly be available at www.europarl.eu.int
Contact:
Mr. Thomas Mann, President of Tibet Intergroup of the European Parliament – 0032 2 284 9318
Mr. Migyur Dorjee (Bureau du Tibet, Brussels) – 0032 2 280 4922
Mr. Chhime R. Chhoekyapa (Tibet Bureau, Geneva) – 0041 22 738 7940
