By Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon
Phayul Special Correspondent
Geneva, September 14 – A Joint statement issued after another round of European Union (EU)-China Summit has again avoided reference to the situation in Tibet although both sides reaffirmed their commitment to value of their human rights dialogue and other contacts and cooperation. The 9th EU-China took place on 9 September in the Finnish capital, Helsinki.
On 31 August, the Finnish Presidency of the European Union in a press release about the Summit said that cooperation between the EU and China was active. “The Union is engaged in systematic dialogue with China on human rights, trade and sectoral issues. The EU and Chinese Heads of State or Government hold an annual summit where they agree on joint policy guidelines,” the release added.
The Joint statement issued two days after the Summit said: “The two sides underlined their commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights and continued to place a high value on the EU-China human rights dialogue. They underlined the importance of concrete steps in the field of human rights and reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance co-operation and exchanges in this field on the basis of equality and mutual respect, while making efforts to achieving more meaningful and positive results on the ground. The EU welcomed China’s commitment to ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as soon as possible.”
The statement said that anti-terrorism action must accord with the purpose and principles of the UN Charter and the norms of relevant International Law and fully respect human rights. “Both sides confirmed their commitment to co-operate with UN human rights mechanism and their respect for international human rights standards provided for in relevant international human rights instruments including the rights of minorities. In respect of the global fight against genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, they also noted the importance of the International Criminal Court. The two sides were committed to supporting the work of the UN Human Rights Council and undertook to strengthen their communication and coordination in this regard in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251,” the Summit declaration stated.
Last week the European Parliament in its decision to adopt a report on the human rights situation in present-day China said that the Parliament was “very concerned about recent reports of continuing serious human rights abuses in Tibetan areas of China, including torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, house arrest and other non-judicial surveillance of dissidents, detention without public trial, repression of religious freedom and arbitrary restrictions on free movement; is deeply concerned about the intensification of the so-called “patriotic education” campaign since October 2005 in Tibet’s monasteries and nunneries, forcing Tibetans to sign declarations denouncing the Dalai Lama as a dangerous separatist and proclaiming Tibet to be “part of China”, including the arrest of monks from the Drepung Monastery in November 2005 for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama; calls upon China to allow an independent body to have access to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Panchen Lama of Tibet, and his parents, as requested by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child; calls upon the Chinese government to intensify its positive engagement in substantive negotiations regarding the demands of the Dalai Lama for autonomy for Tibet.”
During the debate on the report, European Commission’s Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner while touching on the issue of Tibet said: “…on Tibet, we share the concerns expressed by the European Parliament regarding the human rights situation in Tibet and in particular the preservation of the cultural, religious and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people. We have regularly addressed the issue of Tibet in the framework of the EU-China bilateral dialogue on human rights, as well as at the highest political level, including summits. As part of this overall policy vis-a-vis Tibet, for many years we have been asking for the establishment of a direct dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities, as that is the only realistic way to find a peaceful and lasting solution to the question. We have therefore taken note of the talks between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and the representatives of China.”
Mr. Tunne Kelam a member of the European Parliament in his remarks in the debate said that when engaging in a partnership with a dictatorship, “the crucial issue is to create a credible balance between economic and strategic interests on the one hand, and democratic values on the other.” He said the report on China’s human rights record “express serious concern over the latter, and rightly so. Indeed, we must face the reality that increased economic relations have not resulted in any real progress in the field of the rule of law.”
While calling for the appointment of an EU special representative for Tibetan affairs, Mr. Kelam said: “The EU must make it one of its priorities to insist that China grants Tibet cultural and religious autonomy, and also opens a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Tibet is rated by Freedom House as being, along with Chechnya, one of the world’s two worst-off territories. The EU should stress the seriousness it attaches to this by appointing an EU special representative for Tibetan affairs.”
The European Parliament report on China initiated by one of its members, Mr. Bastiaan Belder, was approved on 7 September with 351 votes in favour, 48 against and 160 abstentions.
According to the EU Presidency, the latest EU-China Summit was represented from EU side by the Prime Minister of Finland, Matti Vanhanen; President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja; Finnish Minister for Trade and Development, Paula Lehtomäki; and Member of the European Commission, Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The Chinese delegation was headed by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. The Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission Ma Kai and Trade Minister Bo Xilai.
