INFORMATION RELEASE

FROM Bureau du Tibet, Paris.

Dated 17th April 2000.

The European Parliament passed a resolution on Human Rights in Tibet

(Resolution N B5-O343, 0353, 0361, 0369, 0373 and 0377/2000) during its

session in Strasbourg on 12th April 2000.

The resolution which was proposed by the representatives from all major

party groups represented in the Parliament, while citing the previous EP

resolutions, and within the context of the 56th Session of UN Commission on

Human Rights, and the conclusions issued by the European Council of

Ministers during the General Affairs Council Meeting of 20th March 2000,

expresses " deep concerns " over the failure of the EU-China Human Rights

dialogue to produce " enough progress on the ground ".

The resolution expresses concerns over the threat to the " Tibetan cultural

and spiritual heritage " due to " a large-scale transfer of ethnic Chinese

to Tibet ", and over the " continuing and widespread restrictions on

fundamental freedoms, notably freedom of assembly, expression, association

and religion ".

The resolution calls the " Chinese government to open dialogue without

pre-conditions on the future of Tibet with the Dalai Lama and on the basis

of Five Point Peace Plan ".

And finally, within the context of the current UN Human Rights commission

session, the resolution urges "the Council to take the initiative - on the

adoption of a resolution expression concerns at the serious human rights

violations perpetrated in China, including the continual oppression in

Tibet."