By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 19: Tibetan, Southern Mongolian and Uyghur protestors gathered in numbers on the opening day of the 12th ASEM (Asian and European Meeting) on Wednesday in Brussels, Belgium where Chinese delegation headed by PM Li Keqiang met with EU delegation to discuss trade and diplomacy.
The coalition of protestors and activists represent people from Chinese controlled regions of occupied Tibet, Southern Mongolia and East Turkestan that say Beijing has exerted repressive control through their policies in their lands. Protestors carried flags and banners that read, “Put human rights in China on the ASEM agenda”, among others.
The rally was jointly organised by UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation), ICT (International Campaign for Tibet), the World Uyghur Congress and the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Centre.
ICT’s EU Policy Director Vincent Metten told The European Interest, “The leaders of democratic countries participating in the 12th ASEM Summit should push for the inclusion of Human rights issues and the rule of law into the official agenda”.
Metten whose organisation ICT lobbied consistently for the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act pointed to the lack of reciprocity in the relations between the EU and China and the problem of access to Tibet for European diplomats, journalists and tourists.
The president of the World Uyghur Congress, Dolkun Isa said, “Uyghurs, Tibetans, Southern Mongolians and all those who call for their basic rights and freedoms in China are under attack. It is becoming an existential problem, as everything that makes us unique, our language, culture, religious beliefs and ethnic identity are being targeted in a systematic campaign of forced cultural assimilation”.
“We realise that the EU has many geopolitical and economic factors to consider, but common humanity and human rights should always be at the core of EU policy,” he further said.
