DOCUMENT SUBMITTED BY MR. GIANFRANCO DELL'ALBA (I - ARE)
in the occasion of
15TH E.P./CHINA INTER-PARLIAMENTARY MEETING
May 31/June 8, 1998
Chairmen, distinguished members of the People's National Assembly of China, Members of European Parliament, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am very glad to have the opportunity to submit to you the position of the European Parliament - assumed repeatedly and with firm political coherence for over 10 years - concerning the situation in the autonomous regions of the People's Republic of China: in Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia.
The history as well as the presence of the peoples of these three regions appears to be very similar: Since military annexation of China in the late 1940's (Inner Mongolia in 1947, Eastern Turkestan and Tibet in 1949) they face continuous massive and government sponsored population transfers of ethnic Chinese, continue to struggle for their right to a real autonomy and suffer serious violations of their human and political rights including the economic, social and cultural ones.
As a result of the 50 years lasting repressive policy of the People's Republic of China, all these peoples are becoming minorities in their own homelands. They are denied of education and training in their language and work opportunities; their culture and religions are severely suppressed - just the vivid example of this is strong anti-Dalai Lama campaign in Tibet and 2 years' incommunicado detention of the 8 years old Panchen Lama; they are denied to enjoy the freedom of opinion, expression, press and assembly, when imprisoned are denied of fair trial, free choice of lawyers, visits of their families and appropriate medical care; they are subjected to torture and ill-treatment; in the frame of the so-called "Birth control programme" women are forced to sterilisation and abortion; their lands have been expropriated and the natural resources of their regions are being exploited and exported. The leaders of these peoples, often imprisoned for their activities for their right to self-government, continuously a
sk the Chinese authorities enter a dialog for the settlement of this tragic situation.
The constant deep concern of the European Parliament about this situation have been reflected in 18 resolutions on Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia, approved by its plenary during the last 10 years. Moreover, in 3 resolutions out of 18 on the situation and the relations with China, the European Parliament explicitly referred to these issues as well. But it is not merely the quantity, but the contents of these resolutions that attempted to correspond with and respond to all the facts and new developments brought to the attention of Members of the European Parliament and the international community.
It is also important to stress that the political position of the European Parliament contained in these resolutions as well as in its other initiatives, is not reduced only to requests addressed to the Government and authorities of the People's Republic of China, but extends the obligation and the necessity to seek the solution also to the international community, particularly the European Commission and the Council and the United Nations Secretary General and UN General Assembly.
However, the most important and the biggest share of the responsibility to resolve the situation obviously remains in the hands of the Government and the authorities of the People's Republic of China. The European Parliament repeatedly urged the Chinese authorities to respect all the human and political rights of Tibetans, Uighurs and Mongols including the religious freedom and cultural autonomy; resolutely condemned the violations of their rights and the use of intimidating practices by China towards these peoples; called on the Chinese Government to cease immediately the forced sterilisation and abortion; expressed its concern at the conditions of prisoners; called for immediate halt to the environmental degradation and economic exploitation committed by Chinese in these regions; called for the immediate reversal of policies that encourage the mass transfer of Chinese to Tibet, East Turkestan and Inner Mongolia; called for immediate release of all those arrested if not charged with internationally recogniz
able offences (including the young Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and his family, the Tibetans Gendhun Rinchen, Lobsang Yonten, Damchoe Pemo, Jigme Dorje, Lobsang Dargye, Pema Tsering, Lobsang Palden, Jampa Tashi, and Mr. Hada from Inner Mongolia) and for granting to all arrested the fair trial and the access to relatives and to a lawyer of their choice; urged the Chinese government to allow journalists and international observers the access to Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia and to allow them the access to trials and prisons; and urged the Chinese Government to resume negotiations with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, to embark on political dialogue with the Mongol opposition and open a dialogue with all parties involved in the Eastern Turkestan issue.
Furthermore, despite the policy of the European Union towards China - which we consider to be insufficient regarding the issue of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule of law, and particularly concerning the situation in the autonomous regions - the European Parliament continues to call for a more substantive role of the EU in this matter: The E.P. repeatedly requested the European Commission to make the granting of assistance to China conditional on the observance of basic human rights and freedoms; to ensure in its relations with China that an appropriate percentage of funds, projects and scholarship is allocated to these regions; urged the Foreign Ministers of the EU Member States and the Commission to call for and support any move to substantive dialogue without preconditions to take place between the representatives of these regions and the Chinese Government; called on the Council and the Commission to appoint an EU Special Representative for Tibet; called on the Member States t
o use all the diplomatic means available to them to ensure that a resolution on the situation in China is approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights; called on the Governments of the Member States to have the question of Tibet's occupation and decolonization placed on the agenda of the UN General Assembly.
The European Parliament also endorsed the request made to the UN Secretary General by 1300 members of parliament from around the world - and promoted by the initiative of the Transnational Radical Party - that he meet the Dalai Lama as a first step in a UN-sponsored process of mediation between the Chinese Government and the Tibetan Government in exile.
All these requests make clear that the European Parliament is well aware of the serious threat that the alarming situation in these regions represents for the respect of human and political rights, democracy and the rule of law, not only within these regions and the People's Republic of China as a whole, but also on the level of the world political stability. We are convinced that the rights are equal and indivisible and therefore the usual explanation of China that the Asian or Chinese historical and cultural background for understanding and practising these rights is unacceptable.
Thank you for your attention, Ladies and Gentlemen, you will find my full report, including the resolutions approved by the European Parliament that I referred to, circulated in this hall.
Enclosed:
1. List of resolution approved by the European Parliament on the situation in Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia and resolutions on China with reference to these regions;
2. Resolutions approved by the European Parliament on the situation in Tibet, Eastern Turkestan and Inner Mongolia.
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* Resolutions approved by the European Parliament on Tibet (1987 - 1998):
- Joint resolution replacing Docs. B2-1008, 1013, 1027, 1053 and 1070/87
approved on 15 October 1987
Resolution on the situation in Tibet
- Joint resolution replacing Docs. B2-1508, 1511, 1524 and 1540/88
approved on 16 March 1989
Resolution on human rights in Tibet
- B3-551/90
approved on 15 March 1990
Resolution on the sentence of death passed in Tibet on Lobsang Tensing, a 22 year old student
- B3-0132, 0139, 0169 and 0188/92
approved on 13 February 1992
Resolution on human rights in China and Tibet
- A3-0369/92
approved on 15 December 1992
Resolution on the situation in Tibet
- B3-0858, 0862, 0872, 0903 and 0929/93
approved on 24 June 1993
Resolution on repression in Tibet and the exclusion of the Dalai Lama from the World Conference on Human Rights
- B3-1257 and 1307/93
approved on 16 September 1993
Resolution on the detention of the Tibetans Gendun Rinchen, Loosang Yontam and Damchoe Pemo and other violations of human rights in Tibet
- B4-0275/94
approved on 27 October 1994
Resolution on the sentence of up to 15 years' imprisonment pronounced against five Tibetans in China for 'counter-revolutionary activities'
- B4-0768 and 0826/95
approved on 15 May 1995
Resolution on Tibet
- B4-0963, 0979, 0983, 1003, 1007 and 1011/95
approved on 13 July 1995
Resolution on the situation in Tibet and the disappearance of the six-year old Panchen Lama
- B4-1499, 1516, 1522, 1544 and 1556/95
approved on 14 December 1995
Resolution on the selection of the Panchen Lama and religious freedom in Tibet
- B4-0514, 0520 and 0525/96
approved on 18 April 1996
Resolution on the resolution on China and Tibet submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights and the position of the EU countries
- B4-0636 and 0649/96
approved on 23 May 1996
Resolution on human rights in Tibet
- B4-0199, 0220, 0240, 0258 and 0261/97
approved on 13 March 1997
Resolution on Tibet
- B4-0076 and 0097/98
approved on 15 January 1998
Resolution on the appointment of an EU special representative for Tibet
- B4-0511, 0537 and 0538/98
approved on 14 May 1998
Resolution on Tibet
* Resolution approved by the European Parliament on Eastern Turkestan (1997):
- B4-0289, 0296, 0311, 0323 and 0320/97
approved on 10 April 1997
Resolution on the human rights situation in Eastern Turkestan (Region of Xinjiang)
* Resolution approved by the European Parliament on Inner Mongolia (1997):
- B4-0750/97
approved on 18 September 1997
Resolution on the situation in Inner Mongolia and the sentence passed on Mr Hada, founder of the Southern Mongolian Democracy Alliance
* Resolutions approved by the European Parliament on China with reference to autonomous regions (1993 - 1997):
- B3-1429, 1450 and 1518/93
approved on 28 October 1993
Resolution on the human rights situation in China
"(...) The European Parliament delegation which is on an official visit to the People's Republic of China hereby expresses its deep concern to the Chinese authorities about the plight of the persons listed below and, in accordance with its resolutions, calls for them to be tried in a just and equitable manner and for their conditions of imprisonment to be in accordance with the United Nations rules regarding the treatment of prisoners.
(...) Specifically in the autonomous region of Tibet
13. Mr Yulo Dawa Tsering
14. Mr Tashi Tsering
15. Mr Lhakpa Tsering
16. Mr Agyal Tsaring
17. Mr Ngawang Phulchung
18. Mr Rinzen Choenyi
19. Mr Tseten Norgye
20. Mr Nqawang Chime
21. Mr Nqawang Phuntsoq
22. Mr Nqawang Chenchoe
23. Mr Nqawang Samten
24. Mr Nqawang Thubten
25. Mr Lobsang Tsondrue."
- A3-0011/94
approved on 9 February 1994
Resolution on relations between the European Union and the People's Republic of China
"The European Parliament,
(...)
F. having regard to the position of China on the question of Tibet and regretting that all the efforts by the UN General Assembly and the International Court of Justice to find a solution to this problem have failed to achieve a positive result, (...)
12. Condemns and expresses its concern at the situation of minorities and, in particular, reaffirms the provisions of its resolutions on the situation in Tibet; reiterates its total condemnation of human rights violations in Tibet by the Chinese authorities; expresses its concern at the destruction of the environment and the exploitation of Tibetan natural resources;
(...)
25. Supports the priorities set by the Commission which, in the context of co-operation, has placed emphasis on training programmes in financial management and accountancy, the training of managers and lawyers, and on the environment sector, and calls for co-operation projects targeted on the less-favoured regions and ethnic minorities (Tibet, Inner Mongolia) to be stepped up;
(...)
30. In conclusion, considers that the further expansion of co-operation between the People's Republic of China and the EU should be accompanied above all by:
(...)
(c) ensuring respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Tibet and opening negotiations with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile;
(d) securing agreement that the human rights of the people of Hong Kong and Macao are respected after these territories return to Chinese sovereignty;..."
- A4-0198/97
approved on 12 June 1997
Resolution on the Commission communication on a long term policy for China-Europe relations (COM(95)0279 - C4-0288/95)
"The European Parliament,
(...)
R. having regard to the continuing repression of ethnic and religious groups, and in particular the Tibetan, Uighur and Mongolian peoples, and the increasing colonization of their territories,
(...)
38. Calls on China to expand cooperation with international human rights mechanisms, especially the UN special rapporteurs, and to allow regular access to Tibet, East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and Inner Mongolia by foreign observers;
39. Condemns China's occupation of Tibet and calls on the Chinese Government to accept the Dalai Lama's proposal which, without raising independence as a preliminary issue, calls for the resumption of negotiations on the basis of recognition of the cultural and religious autonomy of the Tibetan people and its right to self-government;
40. Welcomes the open invitation given to members of European Parliament by representatives of the National People's Congress to visit Tibet and "see for themselves";
41. Calls on the authorities of the People's Republic of China to open a political dialogue with all interested parties which will enable the conditions to be created for a peaceful resolution of the problems in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and Inner Mongolia."
