Brussels, 10 December: EU raised with China the denial of human rights in Tibet during the 33rd round of the EU-China Dialogue on Human Rights in Brussels.

The one-day meeting held on 8 December discussed the rights of minorities especially in Tibet and Xinjiang. Freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the due process of law, arbitrary detention, and the death penalty were discussed between the EU and Chinese officials.

Also the imprisonment of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, the Mongolian activist Hada, Nobel Laureate Liu Xiabo, Gao Yu, Pu Zhiqiang, Xu Zhiyong, and Gao Zhisheng were raised at the meeting by the EU officials.

The Chinese delegation also met EU Special Representative Lambrinidis on 8 December.

In a press statement issued at the end of meeting by the EU, it said that the dialogue allowed the two sides to have a detailed exchange of views on a wide range of human rights issues.

The EU High Representative Federica Mogherini re-emphasized that human rights is universal in her Human Rights Day, 10 December 2014 statement. She said that the theme for this year’s International Human Rights Day – Human Rights 365 – “reflects the aspiration that each one of us, everywhere, at all times, is entitled to the full range of human rights.”