Brussels, Sept. 3 (CNA) Human Rights Watch in Brussels said Wednesday that the European Union (EU) should insist that Beijing make good on its human rights promises and urged the union to start working toward presenting a resolution against mainland China at next year's session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC).

In an open letter to members of the European Parliament, Human Rights Watch said that the threat of a UN resolution has proven to be an effective way to pressure Beijing in the past and the EU's approach to the UNHRC should be a priority matter on the agenda of the EU foreign ministers' next meeting on Oct. 6-7.

"China is a member of the United Nations and thus is bound to uphold the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Pressure needs to be continually brought to bear on China by the international community," the letter said.

The human rights organization indicated in the letter that the relationship between the EU and mainland China over the past two years has been based on broken promises and a variety of human rights concessions that Beijing has failed to deliver.

According to Human Rights Watch, the EU's response to mainland China's human rights violations has been slow and ineffective. "Split in 1997 by Beijing's pattern of aggressive lobbying by high officials, the European Union must once again unite to hold China accountable for its human rights record," the organization urged.

The organization said the EU is in a strong position to hold Beijing accountable to international human rights standards because of new political realities in Europe. "There are recently elected new governments both in Britain and France who have renewed their commitment to human rights. 1998 is also an election year in Germany, which raises the possibility of giving new emphasis to human rights during debate," it said.

Mainland China has given the international community, particularly those urging human rights reform, a series of unfulfilled promises, Human Rights Watch noted, adding that despite a record of continued abuse and empty assurances, Beijing has never been censured by UNHRC.

Saying Beijing has never kept its promises on human rights reform, Human Rights Watch urged the EU to work immediately toward a resolution that will hold mainland China to the human rights standards embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the watchdog group said, "It is high time for the EU to give substance to its stated commitment to human rights." (By P.C. Tang)