ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
B4-0153, 0177, 0202 and 0231/96

Resolution on the situation in Sindh Province

The European Parliament,

A. deeply concerned by the widespread public disturbances in the urban centres of Pakistan's Sindh Province, especially in the cities of Karachi and Hyderabad, where human rights abuses and violence have been committed on all sides, notably by the Altaf and Haqiqi factions of the Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM) and the security forces, as well as by criminal gangs, which have led to thousands of deaths in recent years, including members of the security forces, and have left the province in a state of chronic insecurity,

B. having regard to the Amnesty International report of 17 August 1995, the Report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan of 19 October 1995 and to the Annual Report of 1995 of Human Rights Watch, as regards the situation in the urban centres of Sindh Province,

C. profoundly disturbed at the imprisonment or restriction under house arrest of MQM representatives in the Sindh Provincial Assembly and the Pakistan Senate,

D. convinced that the troubles are causing damage to all communities in urban Sindh, including the Mohajirs, and are detrimental to Pakistan's economy and social progress,

The European Parliament,

1. Condemns the killing of innocent people, the use of torture and other human rights abuses, whether committed by members of the MQM factions or by Pakistani security forces, and especially deplores attacks on members of the families of MQM political leaders and Government officials;

2. Asks the Government of Pakistan to do all in its power to control those elements in the security forces that engage in human rights abuses and to plan the training of the security forces to respect human rights and democratic freedoms;

3. Appeals to the leaders of both factions of the MQM to seek to play a full and positive role in the prevention of further violence;

4. Believes that the settlement of the Mohajir issue can only come about through fully peaceful and democratic methods and calls on the authorities to release or lift restrictions on the MQM elected representatives and to seek to arrange meetings to resolve the problem of Mohajir rights in a peaceful manner;

5. Considers that a decrease in violence is a necessary condition for the effectiveness of free and fair elections in the province, which should allow the urban population representation at all levels commensurate with its size;

6. Asks the Commission and the Council, together with the Member States, to offer support to the Pakistan Government through measures to promote mutual understanding between the local population in the Sindh urban areas;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Government and Parliament of Pakistan and the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
B4-0168/96

Resolution on the recent earthquake in China

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale which struck on 3 February 1996 in the north of Yunnan province in China, centering on four districts in Ligang, a remote and very inaccessible area situated at very high altitude,

B. whereas there have been 250 deaths, 14 000 people injured, 4 000 seriously, and 410 000 houses and buildings damaged or destroyed, leaving many without shelter, as a result of the earthquake and its aftershocks,

The European Parliament,

1. Extends its sympathies to all the victims and to the families of those who lost their lives as a result of the recent earthquake;

2. Calls on the Commission to grant emergency humanitarian aid to the victims of the earthquake, in collaboration with the Chinese central and provincial authorities, through the setting up of an emergency local relief programme;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and the Government of China.
A4-0054/96

Recommendation on the need for an early settlement of the dispute on the future of Kosovo

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the second paragraph of Article J.7 of the Treaty on European Union,

- having regard to Resolution 777 (1992) adopted by the United Nations Security Council on 19 September 1992,

- having regard to its resolution of 14 December 1995 on the former Yugoslavia, especially paragraphs 3 and 8(a) thereof ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 1(b).)),

- having regard to Rule 92 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the proposal for a recommendation of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence Policy (A4-0054/96),

A. alarmed that the persecution of the majority ethnic Albanian population of Kosovo by the Government of the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) might unfortunately lead to an armed struggle in Kosovo in which people in neighbouring countries could become involved,

B. believing that a peaceful settlement of the dispute in Kosovo is still possible if Mr Milosevic is willing to enter into negotiations without preconditions with Mr Rugova and other elected representatives of the people of Kosovo,

C. recognizing that Mr Milosevic is at present unwilling to make any concessions to the people of Kosovo or to start negotiations with their elected representatives,

D. having regard to the situation in Vojvodina, where recently the minorities have been subjected to increasing pressure under a policy of altering the ethnic structure through Serb settlement,

E. aware of the desire of the governments of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for full diplomatic recognition and for the ending of all sanctions imposed on them by the United Nations,

F. having regard to the decision of the Government of the USA to open an office in Kosovo,

1. Requests the Council to resolve, as a joint action under Article J.3 of the Treaty on European Union, that full diplomatic recognition of, and the lifting of any remaining sanctions on, the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will only be granted if a full and satisfactory settlement is reached between Mr Milosevic and the elected representatives of the people of Kosovo;

2. Requests the Council to instruct the Commission to open an office in Kosovo;

3. Instructs its President to forward this recommendation to the Council and, for information, to the Commission.
B4-0152, 0159, 0210 and 0228/96

Resolution on the violation of the constitutional rights of the indigenous peoples of Brazil

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its earlier resolutions on the need to protect the rights of the indigenous peoples of Brazil, in particular its resolution of 12 October 1995 ((OJ C 287, 30.10.1995, p. 202.)),

A. whereas indigenous peoples' 'native' right to their land is enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution,

B. recalling that the history of the struggle of the indigenous peoples to achieve institutional recognition of their rights has been a long and tragic one, punctuated by massacres and murders, and the demarcation of territory has been constantly accompanied by pressure being brought to bear on the authorities and by intimidation, illegal occupation, violence and murder,

C. noting that Decree 1775 establishes the right of any 'interested party' to challenge Indian possession of land reserved for them by Decree 22/91, but whose demarcation has not yet been fully completed in the Serviço do Património da União (land register), following pressure from powerful landowners, gold prospectors and mining and forestry companies, and whereas only half the land reserved for the indigenous peoples had been demarcated by 1995 and the demarcation process has been frozen,

1. Strongly condemns this decision, taken despite the clear requests of the European Parliament and the clearly stated opposition of the Brazilian public, many international organizations and the indigenous peoples' defence groups; supports all current initiatives calling for the revision of the federal decree and the anxieties expressed by the chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Brazilian Congress and by other Brazilian groups providing assistance to indigenous peoples;

2. Calls on the Council and the Commission to make the Brazilian authorities aware of their disapproval, to demand guarantees concerning funding for the reserved areas in the context of the pilot programmes, and to make consideration of the position of the indigenous peoples an obligatory part of their political, economic and trade relations with Brazil;

3. Instructs its Delegation for relations with South America to raise this matter with its Brazilian colleagues at the earliest opportunity;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the President and the Government of Brazil, the Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Council of the Indigenous Peoples of Brazil and the National Forum for the Defence of Indigenous Rights.
B4-0772, 0778, 0792 and 0816/96

Resolution on the serious situation of Wei Jingsheng and the human rights violations in China

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission 'A long-term policy for China-Europe relations' (COM(95)0279),

- recalling its previous resolutions on the situation in China,

A. whereas hundreds of thousands of persons are imprisoned under inhumane conditions in the labour and detention camps known as laogai,

B. whereas, under the laws in force on the territory of the People's Republic of China, 68 offences are punishable with the death penalty, including tax evasion,

C. whereas the number of executions is increasing in China, as shown by the reports drawn up by a number of international organizations,

D. whereas the Chinese dissident, Wei Jingsheng, is currently in prison, and whereas his state of health is giving particular cause for concern,

E. whereas the Wei Jingsheng case raises fundamental issues concerning inalienable rights such as freedom of expression and thought,

F. whereas Wei Jingsheng's trial flouted every principle of justice,

G. whereas torture and maltreatment remain widespread and systematic in China in places like police stations, detention centres, labour camps and prisons,

H. whereas the General Affairs Council on 4 December 1995 stated that the basic goals of the EU in relations with China are, inter alia 'the promotion of democracy, structures based on the rule of law and the respect for human rights',

1. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the constant violations of human rights perpetrated on the territory of the People's Republic of China;

2. Calls for the release of all prisoners of conscience and the immediate closure of the laogai;

3. Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to release Wei Jingsheng immediately and to ensure that he receives suitable medical care;

4. Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to order an immediate, independent judicial review of the Wei Jingsheng case open to international observers;

5. Calls on the Chinese government to give international humanitarian organizations access to detainees in Chinese prisons;

6. Calls on the Commission to submit to the European Parliament in the near future a report on current Union policy towards China, paying particular attention to the issue of respect for human and fundamental rights;

7. Is of the opinion that the European Union has to be prepared to make wider use of pressures, including sanctions, in trade and business relations with China;

8. Asks the Commission whether the human rights violations in China will have any effect on China's request to become a member of the World Trade Organization;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, and the Government of the People's Republic of China.
B4-0740, 0801, 0822 and 0832/96

Resolution on the banning of the National League for Democracy in Burma

The European Parliament,

- recalling its previous resolutions on the situation in Burma and notably that adopted on 23 May 1996 on human rights violations in Burma (Myanmar) ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 10(c).)),

A. shocked at the decision by the military junta in Rangoon to ban the NLD, which is led by the Nobel and Sakharov Prize winner Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi, in order to prevent any political demonstrations against the current regime,

B. considering that the SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council) put a new law into force on 6 June 1996 under which political criticism and public speeches can be punished with up to 20 years' imprisonment and which allows for a ban on any public political gathering involving more than five persons,

C. seriously concerned at the human rights abuse which is still going on in Burma and convinced that there are sufficient grounds to believe that further investigations into the general human rights situation in Burma are necessary,

D. recalling that Burma will become a member of the Asean Regional Forum on 23 July 1996 and will take part as an observer in upcoming Asean meetings,

1. Supports the efforts made by the democratic forces of Burma and by Mrs Aung San Suu Kyi in their struggle for the establishment of a state of law founded on principles of democracy and on respect for human rights;

2. Strongly condemns the violations of human rights in Burma and more specifically the new law adopted by the SLORC in order to ban the NLD, which constitutes a serious attack on human rights and freedom of expression;

3. Reaffirms the need for the EU and all the Member States to isolate the SLORC politically and economically in order to contribute to the transfer of power to a democratic government;

4. Invites the Asian countries to implement every measure in order to isolate the SLORC politically and economically and to support the democratic forces of the country;

5. Furthermore, calls on:

- the Commission to report on the general human rights situation in Burma,

- the Council to adopt immediately a formal statement on the human rights abuses in Burma, a statement recently blocked by the United Kingdom's 'non-cooperation' policy;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Burmese authorities and the UN Secretary-General.
B4-1294/96

Resolution on killings in El Salvador

The European Parliament,

A. deeply concerned at the murder of seven people, including four children, on 20 October 1996 in the Valle Nuevo quarter of San Salvador,

B. deeply concerned at the killing on 8 October 1996 of the well-known singer and former member of the FMLN, Francisco Antonio Manzanares Monjaras, in circumstances which suggest an extra-judicial execution involving the PNC (national civil police),

C. whereas in recent weeks there has been a resurgence of acts of violence, with the number of deaths in double figures,

D. whereas the human rights attorney Victoria Avilés and the Committee of Relatives of Victims of Human Rights Violations (CODEFAN) believe that these killings could be part of a new spiral of violence originated by the paramilitary groups which have taken over from the 'death squads',

E. whereas in August 1996 the UN Secretary-General, Mr Boutros Boutros-Ghali, expressed his concern at the delay in establishing a national civil police force throughout the country,

F. whereas paramilitary groups were responsible for 40 000 killings between 1980 and 1992, and subsequently continued to murder FMLN activists,

G. whereas President Armando Calderón has ordered an investigation into the resurgence of the 'death squads',

H. whereas this state of violence poses a grave threat to the construction of democracy in El Salvador,

I. concerned at the El Salvador Parliament's decision of 11 October 1996 to reintroduce the death penalty, despite having signed the International Convention against the death penalty,

The European Parliament,

1. Expresses its heartfelt solidarity with the victims' relatives;

2. Calls on President Armando Calderón to carry out a detailed investigation into these murders and their possible links to the former 'death squads' and to take the necessary steps to bring those responsible to justice;

3. Calls for the office of the human rights attorney to be given all the necessary technical and human resources for this task;

4. Calls for the death penalty and other measures to increase penalties, such as the 'special law against crime', to be removed from the El Salvador statute book, so that the elections in March 1997 may be held in the best possible climate;

5. Calls on the Commission to continue its support for human rights organizations and the democratization process in El Salvador;

6. Calls on the Government of El Salvador to investigate the murders and guarantee the right to life to all citizens without exception;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the Government of El Salvador.
A4-0373/96

Resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the reappointment of the President of the European Monetary Institute from 1 January 1997 until 30 June 1997

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Council's letter of 8 November 1996 (C4-0603/96),

- having regard to the recommendation dated 13 May 1996 of the Council of the European Monetary Institute,

- having regard to the opinion of the Council of 3 June 1996,

- having regard to Article 109f of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Rule 36 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A4-0373/96),

1. Delivers a favourable opinion on the reappointment of Mr Alexandre Lamfalussy to the office of President of the European Monetary Institute from 1 January 1997 until 30 June 1997;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States.
B4-1379, 1388, 1394, 1401, 1411 and 1441/96

Resolution on juvenile detainees in Honduras

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the concern expressed by Casa Alianza (an NGO which defends the rights of street children) and Amnesty International with regard to certain cases in which juvenile detainees in Honduras have been held in the same prisons as adults,

B. whereas the 'Auto Acordado' of December 1994, which authorized judges to imprison minors in adult detention centres, was repealed in January 1996 by the Supreme Court,

C. having regard to the recent adoption by the Honduran Parliament of the Code on Childhood and Adolescence,

D. drawing attention to the efforts being made by the Honduran Government, in conjunction with the Commission, to find a definitive solution to this serious problem,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the Honduran Government to continue its efforts to find a lasting solution to the problem of juvenile detainees held in prisons alongside adults;

2. Welcomes the joint efforts by the Honduran authorities and the Commission, which to date have resulted in the 'Convenio de financiación entre la Comunidad Europea y la República de Honduras - Programa de atención a menores infractores y en riesgo social en Honduras' ((Convenio No HND/B7 - 310/96/033)) and calls for full cooperation to ensure that this agreement is implemented promptly;

3. Calls on the governments of the Member States and the Community authorities to support the Honduran Government and non-governmental organizations and associations working for the protection of street children;

4. Points out that the 'third-generation' agreements with third countries contain a clause on respect for human rights;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Central American Parliament, the relevant NGOs and the Honduran Government.
B4-0203/97

Resolution on the storms in the Azores

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the exceptionally violent storms which, in the final weeks of 1996, including the run-up to Christmas, struck the islands of São Miguel, Graciosa, and Flores and especially the port of Ponta Delgada and the towns of Povoação, Lajes das Flores, and Santa Cruz da Graciosa,

B. having regard to the sweeping devastation and the resulting destruction of privately and publicly owned facilities and property worth over PTE 13 billion,

C. whereas, in its resolution of 27 December 1996, the Portuguese Government declared the Azores a disaster area and adopted a package of financial aid, loans, and other assistance for reconstruction,

D. whereas the Commission, acting on a proposal from the Portuguese Government and the regional authorities, has already transferred amounts earmarked for the region under Community programmes,

The European Parliament,

1. Expresses its solidarity with the people of the Azores, the democratically elected authorities, and, above all, the persons directly affected;

2. Welcomes the fact that there were no cases of serious personal injury;

3. Points out that the above events demonstrate once again that the region's 'more remote' status entails disadvantages and considers, therefore, that measures need to be taken at national and Community level, starting with the future revised EU Treaty, in order to offset and reduce the harm;

4. Calls on the Commission to extend its continuing cooperation by providing financial contributions to meet the needs arising from reconstruction in the region;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Portuguese Government, and the Government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.