Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, June 16: The European Union and the People’s Republic of China convened the 40th session of their Human Rights Dialogue on June 13 in Brussels, where the EU reiterated its deep concerns over the worsening human rights situation in China, with particular emphasis on the repression in Tibet.
The dialogue addressed a wide range of human rights issues, including ongoing restrictions on freedom of expression, religion and belief, peaceful assembly, and the right to equality and non-discrimination. The EU emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in China’s human rights practices, urging an end to arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and ill-treatment.
Highlighting religious freedom, the EU reiterated its concerns that the selection of religious leaders must be carried out without state interference and in keeping with traditional religious practices, especially in the context of the future succession of the Dalai Lama. The EU further urged Chinese authorities to provide credible information regarding the whereabouts of the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, who has remained missing for the past 30 years after being forcibly disappeared as a child.
The EU also raised the cases of several imprisoned Tibetans, calling for improved treatment and conditions for individuals including Tibetan monks, writers, and activists. Among them were Go Sherab Gyatso, Tashi Dorje, A-Nya Sengdra, Tsongon Tsering, Drugdra, Lobsang Khedrub, and Lobsang Gephel. The EU pressed for better access to legal representation, communication with families, and medical care for these detainees.
According to tibet.net, the official portal of the Central Tibetan Administration, Representative Rigzin Genkhang of the Office of Tibet in Brussels thanked the European Union for its principled stand. “The EU’s support sustains the hopes of millions of Tibetans striving to preserve their identity, culture, and fundamental freedoms,” she stated, particularly appreciating the EU’s positions on the Dalai Lama’s succession, the Panchen Lama’s disappearance, and the plight of Tibetan political prisoners.
Ahead of the formal dialogue, delegates visited South Tyrol to study models of regional autonomy and minority protection, suggesting that China consider such frameworks in its own governance of ethnic and religious regions. The next round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue is scheduled to take place in China in 2026.
