European Parliament’s rights body reiterates Tibet dialogue call

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Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament. (Photo courtesy: Lematin.ma)
Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament. (Photo courtesy: Lematin.ma)

(TibetanReview.net, Jun23, 2017) – Following the European Union’s failure to come out with a statement on China’s human rights record at the ongoing UN Human Rights Council meet in Geneva, the European Parliament has issued a press statement Jun 22, making it clear that the issue continues to be of grave concern to the outside world. Among other things, the statement, issued by Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament, expresses concern over the grave human rights situation in Tibet and calls on the Chinese government to resume the Sino-Tibetan dialogue.

The statement particularly highlights the still ongoing destruction at the Larung Gar Buddhist institute in a Tibetan area of Sichuan Province begun by Chinese authorities in Jul 2016 and the violation of fundamental human rights in Tibet.

The statement says: “The Subcommittee on Human Rights and the European Parliament also remain highly concerned about all individual cases and situations, particularly those specifically referred to in Parliament’s resolutions, including Ilham Tohti, Liu Xiaobo, Hong Kong and the Larung Gar Buddhist school and monastery and the grave human rights situation in Tibet. We reiterate our call to the Chinese government to resume the dialogue with the representatives of the Dalai Lama.”

The statement says, “A regular and strengthened human rights dialogue following a well-established pattern and rhythm, allowing for high-level participation from both sides, leading to tangible results, is in the interest of both partners.”

The statement also urges the EU and its Member States to consistently raise these individual cases and issues with their Chinese counterparts also outside the human rights dialogue in their regular exchanges, including on trade and investment.

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