From: richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (C. Richter)
Subject: European Parliament Resolutions on Tibet
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 11:35:08 GMT

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2. European Parliament Resolution on the Situation in Tibet
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Forwarded by Tica Broch in Geneva
 
   [This is the complete text of a resolution on Tibet that was adopted by 
   the European Parliament on December 15, 1992.  All members present voted 
   for the resolution, with the extreme left (Communists) and right (Le Pen) 
   abstaining; so the resolution is considered to have the unanimous support 
   of the European Parliament. -CR]
                                
Resolution A3-0369/92
 
The European Parliament, 
 
-   having regard to the motions for resolutions:
    (a) by Mrs. Muscardini and others on human rights and EEC economic 
        activity in China (B3-0460/90)
    (b) by Mrs Aglietta and Mr Langer on the situation in Tibet (B3-1375/90)
    (c) by Mr Coates and others on the situation in Tibet (B3-1557/90),
 
-   having regard to its resolution of 15 October 1987, 16 March 1989, 15 
    March 1990 and 13 February 1992, 
 
-   expressing its concern, mindful of Resolution 1991/10 of 23 August 1991
    of the United Nations Sub-commission on the Prevention of Discrimination
    and Protection of Minorities, at violations of fundamental human rights 
    and freedoms that threaten the distinct cultural, religious and 
    national identity of the Tibetan people, 
 
-   having regard to the UN Secretary-General's note on 'The situation in 
    Tibet' (E/CN 41992/37) presented to the 48th Session of the Commission
    on Human Rights, 
 
-   having regard to draft resolution L.49 of 27 February 1992 on 'The 
    situation in Tibet' introduced by Portugal on behalf of the Member States
    and co-sponsored by Austria, Costa Rica, Finland, Iceland, Leichtenstein,
    Norway, Panama and Switzerland, expressing concern at the human rights
    violations and calling upon the Government of China to 'ensure the 
    full observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the 
    Tibetans', 
 
-   having regard to the information acquired during the hearing on human
    rights in Tibet held by the European Parliament on 24 and 25 April 1990, 
 
-   having regard to the experience of the European Parliament's delegation
    during its stay in Lhasa from 20 to 23 September 1991 and especially to 
    the fact that the freedom of movement of the individual members of the 
    delegation was restricted and that they were prevented from obtaining 
    information outside the official programme for the visit, discussions 
    with individual members of the Tibetan population and religious 
    dignitaries being consistently prevented by the presence of security 
    forces in large numbers, 
 
-   having regard to the report of the chairman of the Delegation for  
    Relations with the People's Republic of China of 4 November 1991 on the 
    delegation's visit to the People's Republic of China from 20 to 23 
    September 1991, 
 
-   having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and 
    Security (A3-0369/92), 
 
A.  recognizing that the Tibetans are a people according to international 
    law, 
 
B.  noting that self-determination, a fundamental principle enshrined in
    Articles 1(2) and 55 of the United Nations Charter, is affirmed as a 
    right of peoples in Article 1 of the United Nations Covenants on 
    Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural
    Rights:
 
       'All peoples have the right to self-determination.  By virtue of 
       this right, they freely determine their political status and freely
       pursue their economic, social and cultural development.'
 
C.  recalling, however, that in his determination to secure the human 
    rights of Tibetans by peaceful means, the Dalai Lama has made clear 
    that he does not insist that Tibet should become totally independent;
 
D.  noting with deep anxiety the continued denial of the Tibetan people's 
    right to self-determination, in spite of the fact that according to the 
    relevant international law, a broad range of possibilities are available 
    to pave the way for the attainment of this right,
 
E.  considering insufficient the legal autonomy currently granted to the 
    Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) by the Chinese government, and regretting
    that even this limited autonomy exists only in law but not in fact and 
    that the economy is managed and local natural resources are exploited 
    with insufficient regard to the needs and priorities of the Tibetan 
    people, 
 
F.  noting with concern that traditional Tibet has been arbitrarily
    divided into five parts and that a large part of the former territory 
    and population of Tibet has been incorporated into adjacent provinces 
    of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai, 
 
G.  deploring the continued violation of the fundamental human rights and 
    freedoms of the Tibetans, including both civil and political rights and 
    economic, social and cultural rights, 
 
H.  particularly concerned by the encouragement given to the resettlement
    of Chinese in Tibet, which marginalizes the Tibetan culture and threatens
    the identity of the Tibetans as a distinctive people and their ability
    to participate effectively in any political process both currently
    and if Tibet were to become democratic in the future, 
 
I.  distressed by the continued violations by China of its international
    obligations, as evidenced by the prevalence of mass executions, 
    political detention and torture, 
 
J.  extremely concerned by the continued military occupation of Tibet by 
    Chinese troops and armed police and the reported deployment of Chinese
    nuclear missiles, which pose a threat to peace and stability in this 
    region and, in development projects, 
 
K.  deploring the destruction wrought on the natural environment of Tibet 
    by a mistaken agricultural policy, a politcally motivated immigration 
    policy and the ruthless exploitation of the country's natural resources, 
    which contravenes the UN Declaration of the Rights of Peoples to 
    Sovereignty over Natural Resources and has resulted in major 
    deforestation around the upper reaches of Asia's greatest rivers, with 
    catastrophic implications for the future of the region,
 
L.  particularly concerned by the attacks on Tibetan culture, such as 
    discrimination against the Tibetan language in government and in the 
    education system, and the strict supervision of monasteries and 
    religious observance, in open disregard of long-standing Tibetan 
    traditions and customs despite nominal autonomy, 
 
M.  noting with concern the discriminatory nature of the health and 
    education system in Tibet, which places in jeopardy the future of an 
    entire people, 
 
N.  noting that most of the Tibetan population lives outside the TAR: while 
    the TAR has 2.2 million inhabitants according to official figures of the 
    Chinese authorities, a further 2.5 - 4 million Tibetans live outside 
    the TAR in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures of Hainan, Haibei, 
    Huanghan, Gannan, Golok, Yushu, Nhapa (Aba), Garze and Dechen and in 
    the 'Mongolian, Tibetan, Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Haixi'; the 
    fate of these people must also be taken into account as the Tibetan 
    people strive to gain independence, 
 
O.  convinced that the traditional wisdom and culture of the Tibetan nation 
    and its spiritual leadership will find a gentle and peaceful way to 
    assert and attain their rights, 
 
1.  Condemns the human rights violations inflicted on the Tibetan people
    and calls on the People's Republic of China to respect human rights as 
    defined in international law; 
 
2.  Demands the release of all political prisoners and a halt to torture
    and intimidation in Tibet, and urges the Chinese Government to invite
    a neutral and impartial institution such as the International Committee
    of the Red Cross to visit all detention facilities and prisoners;
 
3.  Calls for an immediate halt to the environmental degradation anc economic 
    exploitation perpetrated by the Chinese in Tibet, and insists that the 
    management of natural resources and the economy be entrusted to local 
    Tibetan authorities; 
 
4.  Appeals for an end to discrimination against Tibetans in health and 
    education services, further efforts to improve the health and education 
    levels of the Tibetan population and genuine improvement of the health
    and education facilities available to the Tibetan population; 
 
5.  Calls for the immediate reversal of policies that encourage the mass 
    transfer of Chinese to Tibet in violation of the Tibetan people's right 
    to self-determination which implies the right for the Tibetan people to 
    decide democratically on levels and patterns of immigration and the 
    promotion of Tibetan as the language of government and education in 
    Tibet;
 
6.  Recommends that, in the highly senstive area of birth control policy, a 
    sensible, culturally and socially acceptable settlement be found, taking
    into account the convictions of the Tibetan population and the country's 
    special situation; 
 
7.  Advocates the termination of all measures restricting the Tibetan's 
    freedom of movement within the TAR even after the lifting of martial 
    law (e.g. the occasional blockading of individual cities or areas); 
    notes in particular that the freedom of monks to travel is restricted, 
    the aim obviously being to prevent contacts between monasteries; 
 
8.  Welcomes the recent visits to Tibet permitted for Australian, Swiss, 
    Austrian and other delegations, but regrets the selective and conditional
    nature of access to Tibet, particularly the refusal of permission to the 
    rapporteur of the European Parliament's Political Affairs Committee to 
    visit Tibet in his official capacity; deplores interference in the 
    composition of delegations and the limits imposed on the freedom of 
    movement of delegation members and on what foreign delegation members
    may observe while in Tibet; condemns in particular the persecution of 
    Tibetans who talk to delegation members without permission or supply 
    information to foreign delegation members which deviates from that 
    prescribed by the Chinese authorities;
 
9.  Abhors the censorship of communications and the limitations imposed on
    journalists, including denial of entry and expulsion, and the 
    confiscation of documents and films from Western travellers and 
    journalists; 
 
10. Declares its solidarity with the numerous Tibetans serving long prison
    sentences for expressing or publishing their political opinions; 
 
11. Welcomes the recent openness of the Chinese Government in supplying 
    information about the numbers of politcal prisoners (those held for 
    'counterrevolutionary offenses') in Drapchi prison and hopes figures 
    will be published for other categories of prisoners, e.g. prisoners
    being 'held for investigation' in Public Security Bureau detention 
    and interrogation camps such as Gutsa and New Seitu and also political
    prisoners in 'reform and re-education through labour' camps at Sangyip
    and Powo Tramu and other unacknowledged prison camps; 
 
12. Demands the full involvement of Tibetans, with international observation
    in the reconstruction of all culturally sensitive sites, particularly
    the Potala palace, which should be made a UNESCO 'World Heritage Site';
 
13. Regrets that the various constructive initiatives of the Dalai Lama's 
    government in exile have not been acknowledged as a basis for serious 
    negotiations; considers that a willingness to reconsider the Dalai Lama's 
    five-point plan of 1987 might offer a renewed prospect of a peaceful and 
    acceptable solution of the Tibetan question, and appeals to the Chinese 
    Government to reconsider its refusal of the Dalai Lama's October 1991
    request to visit Tibet and in a positive spirit to invite him to visit 
    Tibet in 1993; 
 
14. Urges the resumption of negotiations between the Tibetan government in 
    exile and the Chinese authorities; 
 
15. Urges that genuine self-determination be considered in these negotiations
    and, as a first step and sign of goodwill, recommends the incorporation 
    of all Tibetan territories into a single administrative and political 
    unit; 
 
16. Is aware that Tibet will not find its way to democracy by its own efforts
    and that, on the termination of its one-sided dependence on the People's 
    Republic of China, economic support measures will be needed to enable 
    the country to use its natural resources independently and to bring its
    economic and politcal isolation to an end; 
 
17. Calls upon the Commission to make the granting of assistance to China
    conditional on the observance of basic human rights and freedoms, 
    particularly in Tibet, and to report on the situation in Tibet annually;
 
18. Urges the Commission to ensure in its relations with China that an 
    appropriate percentage of funds, projects and scholarships is allocated 
    to Tibet; 
 
19. Insists that EEC-funded or supported projects in Tibet must genuinely
    serve the interests of the Tibetan people and involve a majority of 
    Tibetans at all levels and that, where this cannot be achieved 
    immediately, provision must be made for Tibetans to be trained in order
    to replace the Chinese mamagers, experts and technicians sent to the
    country; 
 
20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the 
    Commision, the governments of the Member States, the Government of the 
    People's Republic of China, the Dalai Lama and the Secretary-General of 
    the United Nations.