Brussels, 19/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Portuguese representative to the UN Human Rights Committee, Alvaro de Mendonca e Moura, regretted on behalf of the EU and the applicant countries, the Chinese attitude that blocked on Tuesday the voting of a resolution on Human Rights in China through a procedural tactic (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.6). Thanks to the adoption of a non-action motion by 22 votes against 53, China avoided that the draft resolution presented by the United States was submitted to a vote. "For the European Union it is a question of principal that to vote against a motion of non-action that clearly targets preventing the (United Nations) Committee from dealing with the specific situation of a country," announced a Portuguese delegate explaining the EU vote. "No country, small or large, can use procedural tactics to escape criticism and the judgement of the international community," he added.
Fundamentally, Alvarro de Mendoca announced that the EU is extremely preoccupied with the fact that, "despite an improvement in the legal system and the economic and social rights, little progress has been accomplished on the ground, notably concerning civil and political rights." Discussing the broad guidelines of the conclusions adopted by the General Affairs Council last 20 March, he recalled that the EU "condemns the restrictions to fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, expression, religion, assembly and association" in China. He raised the "alarming situation of human rights in Tibetan and Winjiang", as well as European concerns with regard to the "sever" penalties of the members of the Falun Gong movement, the maintaining of administrative detention and the death penalty. Mr. Alvaro de Mendonca also underlined that the EU/China dialogue on human rights has meaning only if "the will of the Chinese authorities to discuss human rights issues are translated through concrete actions to effectively implement human rights in Chinese law."
The American delegate, Harlod Koh mentioned in presenting the United States's draft resolution that human rights abuses increased during the last twelve months. Raising China's will to accede to the WTO, he underlined that Beijing must "adapt its national behaviour to international standards and accept international assessments." The Chinese delegate, Qiao Zonghuai felt on her side that the American resolution was "an anti-Chinese political masquerade."
The non-action motion was adopted thanks to notable votes from Russia, Cuba, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Morocco, Venezuela and Peru. While 18 countries voted against the Chinese draft, 12 countries abstained, notably Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Mexico. Romania left the room during the vote.
In a press release issued after the vote, the human rights NGO, Human Rights Watch criticised the European Union governments, Australia, Canada and Japan for having refused to "co-sponsor" the American draft and for having made no effort to lobby in order to create a majority against the non-action motion. Thanks to its intense diplomatic efforts, China has managed to avoid for the last ten years to the voting of a resolution on human rights, except in 1995, when a resolution was rejected by one vote.