(TibetanReview.net, Feb18’23) – Apart from general concerns across China over unlawful detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill-treatment, the European Union (EU) has spoken of having raised Tibet-related issues in its resumed human rights dialogue with China held in Brussels on Feb 17. It was the 38th round of EU-China Human Rights dialogue, held after the last one in 2019.
That year saw the EU imposing sanctions against Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses in Xinjiang and Beijing’s retaliatory targeting of members of the European Parliament and other individuals and entities.
On Tibet, the EU has highlighted the particularly vulnerable situation of Tibetans, Uyghurs and persons belonging to religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities across the country and called for the immediate release of Tibetan activists, writers and religious leaders, including Go Sherab Gyatso, Rinchen Tsultrim and Tashi Dorje, as noted by the Central Tibetan Administration on its Tibet.net website Feb 18.
The meeting was also stated to have discussed the crackdown on human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists in Tibetan areas, East Turkistan, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong.
In its press statement after the meeting, the EU has also said the dialogue included an in-depth exchange of views on human rights both in the EU and China.
Both sides were stated to have welcomed the reopening of this communication channel on human rights. However, human rights organizations have long questioned the value and usefulness of the dialogue, given its lack of any effect on the human rights situation in China and for the other people under Chinese rule.
The latest round of Human Rights Dialogue was stated to have been co-chaired by Ms Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service, and by Mr Sun Lei, Deputy Director General for International Organizations and Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.