On Thursday 18 January, the European Parliament called on the Chinese authorities to release "immediately and unconditionally" the Tibetan monk, Choekyi, and the campaigners, lawyers and journalists who have been detained on the grounds of their pro human rights activities. The Parliament also urged the authorities "to put an end to the repression they are subjected to in the form of detention, judicial harassment and intimidation".
According to a joint resolution from the Greens/EFA, ECR, S&D, ALDE and EPP Groups on the cases of the human rights campaigners Wu Gan, Xie Yang, Lee Ming-che and Tashi Wangchuk, and of Tibetan monk Choekyi, the MEPs call on the Chinese government to uphold its own Constitution. They mention several articles that protect national minorities, and the freedoms of the press, association, procession and demonstration, recognise the right to the freedom of religion and guarantee the right to criticise and formulate suggestions regarding any state organ or official.
The MEPs also reiterate their call to dialogue between the Chinese government and Dalai Lama and his representatives, underlining their support for a peaceful resolution of the Tibet issue through dialogue and negotiation towards granting Tibet real autonomy under the Chinese Constitution.
According to the Parliament, the adoption of legislation on security in China could have an impact on minorities, particularly the counter-terrorism legislation, which could penalise expression of the Tibetan culture and Buddhism, and the legislation on the management of foreign NGOs, which places human rights defence groups under the control of the government.
The MEPs also call on the Foreign Affairs Council to adopt conclusions on China, which would highlight the vital importance of human rights in EU-China relations, and which would clearly express the expectations of the EU towards the Chinese authorities. The member states should not take initiatives or unilateral measures likely to damage the cohesion, efficiency and coherence of the EU's action, the MEPs warn. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)