On April 10th the European Parliament approved, for the first time, a resolution condemning the continued violation of human rights in Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang) on behalf of the Peking regime. During a press conference organized by deputies Karl HABSBURG-LOTHRINGEN (PPE) and Olivier DUPUIS (ARE), at the commencement of the Parliamentary initiative, Erkin ALPTEKIN, President of UNPO (Organization for the non-represented nations and peoples) and President of one of Eastern Turkestan's principal organizations, delivered a pressing appeal to the European Parliament for the support of the causes of the people of Inner Mongolia, Tibet, and Eastern Turkestan, all of whom are oppressed by Peking.

At the end of the conference the secretary of the TRP, Olivier DUPUIS, declared: "As we are confronted with a European Council that is increasingly unable to establish a common position regarding human rights in China - the decision of the Human Rights Commission in Geneva is exemplary - the European Parliament has, instead, made itself the representative of the citizens of Europe by adopting this resolution, and demonstrating that, in regards to China, it is possible to take a unified stand and express with one voice our judgement on the violation of human rights."

The complete text of the resolution is on Page Two

(From FREEDOM FOR TIBET/DEMOCRACY IN CHINA ! - Number 56 - April 15th, 1997)