Text adopted on 9.4.92

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to Article 5 of the Fourth Lomé Convention, Article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and Council Resolution of 28 November 1991 on human rights, democracy and development,

B. whereas the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly adopted a resolution on good governance and promotion of human rights, as did the Council, following the Commission's working document emphasizing the EC's development cooperation policy placing man at the centre of development,

C. whereas reports from human rights organizations have been expressing concern at human rights abuses in Malawi, such as indefinite detention without charge or trial, permitted under the frequently invoked public security regulations,

D. having regard to the Lenten pastoral letter, read in all Catholic churches in Malawi on Sunday, 8 March 1992, in which, for the first time, abuses in the administration of justice and restriction on freedom of expression were openly criticised by the Church,

E. concerned at accusations of sedition levelled at the bishops of Malawi, shocked by the decision of the Malawi Congress that the bishops should die and distressed by the news that possession of the Catholic bishops' letter is a criminal offence for which offenders will be prosecuted,

F. noting that the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales officially expressed support for the pastoral letter and the bishops by stating that the letter was 'directed to the pastoral good of the Church and the people of Malawi',

G. concerned at the interrogation by the police on 10 March 1992 of Archbishop James Chiona, five bishops (Mkhori, Chimole, Assolari, Chamgwera and Chisendera) and Monsignor John Roche, signatories to the pastoral letter, and concerned for their present safety,

H. deploring the arrest and continuing detention of Simon Mhone, Sydney Kwelepeta, Sam Chirwa and Dennis Nkawazi,

1. Welcomes the courageous attitude of the Malawi Catholic Bishops and all those - whether belonging to a church or not - who made their criticism of current trends in Malawi politics public;

2. Expresses its solidarity with the Malawi people in its search for freedom and development;

3. Appeals to the Malawi Government to exercise tolerance in responding to constructive public criticism and to take steps itself to promote peoples' rights and freedoms as specified in international conventions and Lomé IV, including appropriate steps to guarantee the safety of the Catholic Bishops and others who spoke out so courageously; calls on the Malawi Government to ensure that the bishops are under no form of restriction and are entitled to express their opinion;

4. Welcomes the release of 88 political prisoners by the end of 1991 and the reported release of 50 political detainees in January 1992;

5. Encourages the Malawi Government to continue its review of cases of political detainees and abolish detention without trial in law and practice;

6. Urges the Malawi Government therefore to release the above-mentioned prisoners;

7. Further urges the Malawi Government to release Chakufwa Chihana, Secretary-General of the Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council, recently arrested on returning from Zambia;

8. Calls on European Political Cooperation to condemn systematic violations of human rights in Malawi and to continue to intercede with a view to securing the bishops' safety;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, EPC, the Bureau of the ACP-EEC Joint Assembly, the Organization of African States and the Malawi Government.