(TibetanReview.net, Apr16’25) – Despite strong criticisms from the Chinese embassy, the Dutch House of Representatives has passed a resolution on three motions on Tibet on Apr 15, which the exile Tibetan administration has called a significant development after a prolonged period.
This resolution underscores the Netherland’s commitment to addressing human rights issues in Tibet, said the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) at Dharamshala, India, Apr 16.
On the first motion, the resolution accuses China of committing human rights violations on a frequent basis, in particular, subjecting religious and ethnic minorities (such as Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols and others) to discrimination, harassment, criminalisation, re-education and imprisonment.
On the second motion, the resolution calls on the Dutch Cabinet to push for an EU Special Representative for Tibet and a joint EU-Tibet strategy, along the lines of the US “Resolve Tibet Act” and to inform the lower chamber of the Dutch Parliament about this prior to the planned EU-China Summit.
And on the third motion, the resolution requests the Dutch cabinet to express opposition to China’s interference in the Dalai Lama reincarnation issue at bilateral and multilateral forums. Noting that any interference with Tibetans’ customs regarding their spiritual leader is undesirable, it urges the Dutch government to speaks out that the Chinese Communist Party should not have a voice in the Dalai Lama’s succession.
The motions were stated to have been introduced by Jan Paternotte, Isa Kahraman, DG Boswijk, E Van der Burg, SRT Van Baarle, TMT van der Lee, DGM Cedar, Don Ceder, Chris Stoffer, Martin Oostenbrink and Joi NB and passed with overwhelming support.
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Earlier, on Apr 11 night, following the tabling of the motions, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands called them a gross interference in China’s internal affairs which openly support anti-China separatist forces.
Referring to the motions’ mention of “sensitive issues concerning Taiwan, Xinjiang, and Xizang,” the embassy said in a statement published on its official WeChat account, “We are strongly dissatisfied with and firmly oppose to these actions.”
The statement claimed that the 14th Dalai Lama is “a political exile engaged in separatist activities under the guise of religion”.
“He has absolutely no right to represent the people in Xizang,” China’s official globaltimes.cn Apr 12 quoted the statement as saying, using China’s Sinicized name for Tibet.
The statement sought to make it clear that “the reincarnation of Living Buddhas including the Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese laws and regulations as well as religious rituals and historical conventions, and follow the process that consists of search and identification in China, lot-drawing from a golden urn, and central government approval.”
The spokesperson wanted the Dutch side to “bear in mind the overall interests of China-Netherlands relations, correct its erroneous statements and actions regarding Taiwan, Xinjiang, Xizang, and other related matters, and play a positive role in promoting our cooperation in various fields and the sound development of bilateral relations.”