Newsgroups: talk.politics.china
From: [email protected] (C. Richter)
Subject: European Parliament Resolution on Tibet
Message-ID: <[email protected]>
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 22:58:37 GMT
Lines: 260

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2. European Parliament Resolution on the Situation in Tibet
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Forwarded by Tica Broch in Geneva

  [This is the complete text of a resolution on Tibet that was adopted by
  the European Parliament on December 15, 1992.  All members present voted
  for the resolution, with the extreme left (Communists) and right (Le Pen)
  abstaining; so the resolution is considered to have the unanimous support
  of the European Parliament. -CR]

Resolution A3-0369/92

The European Parliament,

-   having regard to the motions for resolutions:
   (a) by Mrs. Muscardini and others on human rights and EEC economic
       activity in China (B3-0460/90)
   (b) by Mrs Aglietta and Mr Langer on the situation in Tibet (B3-1375/90)
   (c) by Mr Coates and others on the situation in Tibet (B3-1557/90),

-   having regard to its resolution of 15 October 1987, 16 March 1989, 15
   March 1990 and 13 February 1992,

-   expressing its concern, mindful of Resolution 1991/10 of 23 August 1991
   of the United Nations Sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination
   and Protection of Minorities, at violations of fundamental human rights
   and freedoms that threaten the distinct cultural, religious and
   national identity of the Tibetan people,

-   having regard to the UN Secretary-General's note on 'The situation in
   Tibet' (E/CN 41992/37) presented to the 48th Session of the Commission
   on Human Rights,

-   having regard to draft resolution L.49 of 27 February 1992 on 'The
   situation in Tibet' introduced by Portugal on behalf of the Member States
   and co-sponsored by Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, Iceland, Leichtenstein,
   Norway, Panama and Switzerland, expressing concern at the human rights
   violations and calling upon the Government of China to 'ensure the
   full observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the
   Tibetans',

-   having regard to the information acquired during the hearing on human
   rights in Tibet held by the European Parliament on 24 and 25 April 1990,

-   having regard to the experience of the European Parliament's delegation
   during its stay in Lhasa from 20 to 23 September 1991 and especially to
   the fact that the freedom of movement of the individual members of the
   delegation was restricted and that they were prevented from obtaining
   information outside the official programme for the visit, discussions
   with individual members of the Tibetan population and religious
   dignitaries being consistently prevented by the presence of security
   forces in large numbers,

-   having regard to the report of the chairman of the Delegation for
   Relations with the People's Republic of China of 4 November 1991 on the
   delegation's visit to the People's Republic of China from 20 to 23
   September 1991,

-   having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and
   Security (A3-0369/92),

A.  recognizing that the Tibetans are a people according to international
   law,

B.  noting that self-determination, a fundamental principle enshrined in
   Articles 1(2) and 55 of the United Nations Charter, is affirmed as a
   right of peoples in Article 1 of the United Nations Covenants on
   Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural
   Rights:

      'All peoples have the right to self-determination.  By virtue of
      this right, they freely determine their political status and freely
      pursue their economic, social and cultural development.'

C.  recalling, however, that in his determination to secure the human
   rights of Tibetans by peaceful means, the Dalai Lama has made clear
   that he does not insist that Tibet should become totally independent;

D.  noting with deep anxiety the continued denial of the Tibetan people's
   right to self-determination, in spite of the fact that according to the
   relevant international law, a broad range of possibilities are available
   to pave the way for the attainment of this right,

E.  considering insufficient the legal autonomy currently granted to the
   Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) by the Chinese government, and regretting
   that even this limited autonomy exists only in law but not in fact and
   that the economy is managed and local natural resources are exploited
   with insufficient regard to the needs and priorities of the Tibetan
   people,

F.  noting with concern that traditional Tibet has been arbitrarily
   divided into five parts and that a large part of the former territory
   and population of Tibet has been incorporated into adjacent provinces
   of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai,

G.  deploring the continued violation of the fundamental human rights and
   freedoms of the Tibetans, including both civil and political rights and
   economic, social and cultural rights,

H.  particularly concerned by the encouragement given to the resettlement
   of Chinese in Tibet, which marginalizes the Tibetan culture and threatens
   the identity of the Tibetans as a distinctive people and their ability
   to participate effectively in any political process both currently
   and if Tibet were to become democratic in the future,

I.  distressed by the continued violations by China of its international
   obligations, as evidenced by the prevalence of mass executions,
   political detention and torture,

J.  extremely concerned by the continued military occupation of Tibet by
   Chinese troops and armed police and the reported deployment of Chinese
   nuclear missiles, which pose a threat to peace and stability in this
   region and, in development projects,

K.  deploring the destruction wrought on the natural environment of Tibet
   by a mistaken agricultural policy, a politcally motivated immigration
   policy and the ruthless exploitation of the country's natural resources,
   which contravenes the UN Declaration of the Rights of Peoples to
   Sovereignty over Natural Resources and has resulted in major
   deforestation around the upper reaches of Asia's greatest rivers, with
   catastrophic implications for the future of the region,

L.  particularly concerned by the attacks on Tibetan culture, such as
   discrimination against the Tibetan language in government and in the
   education system, and the strict supervision of monasteries and
   religious observance, in open disregard of long-standing Tibetan
   traditions and customs despite nominal autonomy,

M.  noting with concern the discriminatory nature of the health and
   education system in Tibet, which places in jeopardy the future of an
   entire people,

N.  noting that most of the Tibetan population lives outside the TAR: while
   the TAR has 2.2 million inhabitants according to official figures of the
   Chinese authorities, a further 2.5 - 4 million Tibetans live outside
   the TAR in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures of Hainan, Haibei,
   Huanghan, Gannan, Golok, Yushu, Nhapa (Aba), Garze and Dechen and in
   the 'Mongolian, Tibetan, Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi'; the
   fate of these people must also be taken into account as the Tibetan
   people strive to gain independence,

O.  convinced that the traditional wisdom and culture of the Tibetan nation
   and its spiritual leadership will find a gentle and peaceful way to
   assert and attain their rights,

1.  Condemns the human rights violations inflicted on the Tibetan people
   and calls on the People's Republic of China to respect human rights as
   defined in international law;

2.  Demands the release of all political prisoners and a halt to torture
   and intimidation in Tibet, and urges the Chinese Government to invite
   a neutral and impartial institution such as the International Committee
   of the Red Cross to visit all detention facilities and prisoners;

3.  Calls for an immediate halt to the environmental degradation anc economic
   exploitation perpetrated by the Chinese in Tibet, and insists that the
   management of natural resources and the economy be entrusted to local
   Tibetan authorities;

4.  Appeals for an end to discrimination against Tibetans in health and
   education services, further efforts to improve the health and education
   levels of the Tibetan population and genuine improvement of the health
   and education facilities available to the Tibetan population;

5.  Calls for the immediate reversal of policies that encourage the mass
   transfer of Chinese to Tibet in violation of the Tibetan people's right
   to self-determination which implies the right for the Tibetan people to
   decide democratically on levels and patterns of immigration and the
   promotion of Tibetan as the language of government and education in
   Tibet;

6.  Recommends that, in the highly senstive area of birth control policy, a
   sensible, culturally and socially acceptable settlement be found, taking
   into account the convictions of the Tibetan population and the country's
   special situation;

7.  Advocates the termination of all measures restricting the Tibetan's
   freedom of movement within the TAR even after the lifting of martial
   law (e.g. the occasional blockading of individual cities or areas);
   notes in particular that the freedom of monks to travel is restricted,
   the aim obviously being to prevent contacts between monasteries;

8.  Welcomes the recent visits to Tibet permitted for Australian, Swiss,
   Austrian and other delegations, but regrets the selective and conditional
   nature of access to Tibet, particularly the refusal of permission to the
   rapporteur of the European Parliament's Political Affairs Committee to
   visit Tibet in his official capacity; deplores interference in the
   composition of delegations and the limits imposed on the freedom of
   movement of delegation members and on what foreign delegation members
   may observe while in Tibet; condemns in particular the persecution of
   Tibetans who talk to delegation members without permission or supply
   information to foreign delegation members which deviates from that
   prescribed by the Chinese authorities;

9.  Abhors the censorship of communications and the limitations imposed on
   journalists, including denial of entry and expulsion, and the
   confiscation of documents and films from Western travellers and
   journalists;

10. Declares its solidarity with the numerous Tibetans serving long prison
   sentences for expressing or publishing their political opinions;

11. Welcomes the recent openness of the Chinese Government in supplying
   information about the numbers of politcal prisoners (those held for
   'counterrevolutionary offenses') in Drapchi prison and hopes figures
   will be published for other categories of prisoners, e.g. prisoners
   being 'held for investigation' in Public Security Bureau detention
   and interrogation camps such as Gutsa and New Seitu and also political
   prisoners in 'reform and re-education through labour' camps at Sangyip
   and Powo Tramu and other unacknowledged prison camps;

12. Demands the full involvement of Tibetans, with international observation
   in the reconstruction of all culturally sensitive sites, particularly
   the Potala palace, which should be made a UNESCO 'World Heritage Site';

13. Regrets that the various constructive initiatives of the Dalai Lama's
   government in exile have not been acknowledged as a basis for serious
   negotiations; considers that a willingness to reconsider the Dalai Lama's
   five-point plan of 1987 might offer a renewed prospect of a peaceful and
   acceptable solution of the Tibetan question, and appeals to the Chinese
   Government to reconsider its refusal of the Dalai Lama's October 1991
   request to visit Tibet and in a positive spirit to invite him to visit
   Tibet in 1993;

14. Urges the resumption of negotiations between the Tibetan government in
   exile and the Chinese authorities;

15. Urges that genuine self-determination be considered in these negotiations
   and, as a first step and sign of goodwill, recommends the incorporation
   of all Tibetan territories into a single administrative and political
   unit;

16. Is aware that Tibet will not find its way to democracy by its own efforts
   and that, on the termination of its one-sided dependence on the People's
   Republic of China, economic support measures will be needed to enable
   the country to use its natural resources independently and to bring its
   economic and politcal isolation to an end;

17. Calls upon the Commission to make the granting of assistance to China
   conditional on the observance of basic human rights and freedoms,
   particularly in Tibet, and to report on the situation in Tibet annually;

18. Urges the Commission to ensure in its relations with China that an
   appropriate percentage of funds, projects and scholarships is allocated
   to Tibet;

19. Insists that EEC-funded or supported projects in Tibet must genuinely
   serve the interests of the Tibetan people and involve a majority of
   Tibetans at all levels and that, where this cannot be achieved
   immediately, provision must be made for Tibetans to be trained in order
   to replace the Chinese mamagers, experts and technicians sent to the
   country;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the
   Commision, the governments of the Member States, the Government of the
   People's Republic of China, the Dalai Lama and the Secretary-General of
   the United Nations.

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