Brussels, 25/03/2014 (Agence Europe) - On 25 March, the president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Henri Malosse, called on the European leaders to discuss the situation in Tibet during their meeting with China's President Xi Jinping in Brussels on 31 March.
“I asked my fellow presidents from the other EU institutions for the issue of Tibet to be raised”, Malosse stated, even if this is done in a “diplomatic or discreet” way.
In Malosse's view, there is no reason for there not to be an opening of dialogue between Tibet and China with regard to this province's situation. “The EU must exercise political and diplomatic power in order to push for this dialogue”, said Malosse. The Tibetans want strengthened autonomy on education, culture and the environment - with defence and economic issues continuing to be managed by the Chinese.
Malosse also wanted the appointment of a special EU representative for Tibet so that the EU might have a united position on the issue. Currently, some member states agree to welcome the Dalai Lama while others refuse for fear of angering Beijing. “It would be a political sign of support. It would show that we take the issue of Tibet very seriously and this would enable the member states' position to be coordinated”, said Malosse. “It's a shame that there is not a single and clear policy” on this issue, he added.
Malosse also called on the EU to grant financial support to the Tibetan community in exile. “There are credit lines for people in difficulty, and human rights victims. We want the Tibetan community in exile to benefit from this support”, he stated, convinced that discussion is also possible in China or Tibet to contribute to the preservation of cultural identity and the environment, and thus to help the Tibetan population directly on the ground.
No double-speak. And at a time when the EU has taken sanctions against Russia due to the situation in Crimea, Malosse has also called for action to be taken against China - while stating that the Crimean and Tibetan cases are not comparable. “We reject double-speak”, he said. “There is really a double standard in Europe. There are sanctions against Russia because it's in our neighbourhood - but as China is far away, there are no sanctions”, said Madi Sharma from the UK, a member of the EESC (employers). “We will welcome the Chinese with open arms. Europe must have the same language and the same vision on human rights”, Malosse stated. “There is a cynical attitude from the member states that say 'trade first'. Trade, yes, but also human rights”, he concluded. (CG)