Brussels: In a new report on EU-China relations the European Parliament strongly condemns Chinese assimilationist policies in Tibet that violate the educational, religious, cultural and linguistic rights of the Tibetan people and threaten ultimately to eradicate Tibetan culture and identity. The report calls for an immediate abolition of the compulsory boarding schools and preschools in Tibet and calls for sanction against Chinese officials responsible for designing and implementing the system.
The report further condemns the promulgation of “Administrative Measures for Religious Activity Venues” also known as “Order number 19” that came to effect on 01 September this year which aims to further curtail religious freedom in Tibet and elsewhere in China. The European Parliament urges China to respect and guarantee the right to freedom of religion or belief and refrain from monitoring, harassing, detaining or intimidating leaders and members of religious groups both online and offline.
Other than deploring China’s grave human rights violation in Tibet, the European Parliament calls on the Chinese authorities to provide information on the environmental/human rights defenders who were arrested in recent years after they protested against illegal mining activities in Tibet.
More importantly, the report calls on the Chinese authorities to allow international and independent observers, including the UN, to access Tibet to carry out an investigation.
Welcoming the report, Representative Rigzin Genkhang of the Office of Tibet, Brussels, expressed her gratitude to the European Parliament for addressing the most pressing issues faced by the Tibetans. She believes it is crucial for democratic institutions like the European Parliament to continue raising the Sino-Tibet conflict and engage with the Chinese authorities at the highest level until a peaceful and viable solution is found.
The current report on EU-China relations was adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on Thursday, 16 November, and voted by the whole Parliament on 13 December 2023 with a large majority. MEP Hilde Vautmans of Renew group initiated the report.
–Filed by the Office of Tibet, Brussels
