ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
B4-0145, 0166, 0192, 0223 and 0232/96

Resolution on the threat of military action by the People's Republic of China against Taiwan

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the military build-up along the Chinese coastline facing Taiwan,

B. having regard to the Beijing declaration of the coastline facing Taiwan as a 'war zone',

C. whereas Taiwan has undergone a fundamental transition towards becoming a democratic state and will hold its first democratic presidential elections in March 1996,

D. worried about rumours, apparently spread deliberately, that China plans to launch missiles at Taiwan if President Lee Teng-hui is elected,

E. believing that the action by the People's Republic of China is an attempt to interfere in the democratic process in Taiwan,

F. recalling the common foreign and security provisions of the Treaty on European Union, in particular the preservation of peace, strengthening international security, the promotion of international cooperation and the development of democracy and human rights world-wide,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the government of the People's Republic of China not to carry out any aggressive acts;

2. Urges the Council to exercise its influence over the government of the People's Republic of China to prevent such acts of aggression against Taiwan and to persuade them to refrain from all intimidation aimed at interfering with the elections;

3. Requests the Council to obtain such an assurance from the government of the People's Republic of China;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, and the governments of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan.
B4-0734/96

Resolution on elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European Parliament,

A. whereas the Dayton agreement requires nationwide elections to be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina not later than 14 September 1996,

B. whereas the conditions for democratic elections urgently need to be improved, especially as regards freedom of movement, freedom of the media and the return of displaced persons and refugees,

C. whereas the elections are an opportunity for the reintegration of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

D. whereas postponing the elections would risk deepening the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina by leaving the republic without a national parliament, government and presidency and prolonging the existing rule of local leaders without legitimacy,

E. noting that the following provision in the Dayton agreement may prevent refugees from voting by giving them the impression that they risk being forced back once they have voted: 'The exercise of a refugee's right to vote shall be interpreted as confirmation of his or her intention to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina',

The European Parliament,

1. Stresses the importance of holding elections on schedule at all levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina - municipal, cantonal, entity and national;

2. Stresses that no effort must be spared to create conditions as favourable as possible for democratic elections;

3. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to increase their pressure on all leaders, but specifically on Serb and Croatian leaders with influence in Bosnia and Herzegovina to guarantee the right to free speech, free media and freedom of movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

4. Calls on politicians in charge of the NATO implementation force and on IFOR commanders to make more of the IFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, notably by having IFOR soldiers play a more active part in arresting war criminals, dismantling road blocks, escorting refugees home and accompanying journalists who would like to cover the whole republic;

5. Calls on the Member States which have received refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina to guarantee that no one will be forced to withdraw because he or she has exercised his or her right to vote;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the governments and parliaments of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia/Montenegro and Croatia, IFOR Headquarters, and the High Representative of the international community.
B4-1057, 1063 and 1081/96

Resolution on stiffer penalties for homosexuals in Romania

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

- having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

- having regard to its previous resolution on Romania,

A. shocked at the decision of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies to introduce stiffer penalties for any homosexual relations between consenting adults in the context of a revision of the Romanian penal code,

B. whereas homosexuality is now subject in Romania to prison sentences of between six months and three years; whereas the proposal to amend Article 200 of the penal code would make acts of homosexuality punishable by up to five years' imprisonment,

C. whereas the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, among others, has called on Romania to decriminalize relationships between adults of the same sex,

D. whereas the law will only come into force if a compromise text is approved by both Chambers and signed by the President of the Republic of Romania,

1. Expresses its profound indignation at these decisions by the Romanian Parliament and condemns any attempt to criminalize sexual relations between adults of the same sex;

2. Calls on the President of Romania to use all his powers to prevent the entry into force of the proposed amendments to the penal code;

3. Recalls the importance it attaches to respect for human rights and calls on the Government of Romania to adhere to its undertakings to the Council of Europe to repeal all laws criminalizing homosexuality;

4. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States, each within their respective spheres of responsibility, to exert pressure to prevent discriminatory provisions from being adopted;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Council of Europe and the President, Government and Parliament of Romania.
B4-1269/96

Resolution on the death sentences or lengthy prison sentences called for in the case of Georgian parliamentarians and eminent persons involved in democracy

The European Parliament,

A. deeply concerned at the fact that, even today, human rights are being threatened in the Republic of Georgia,

B. whereas, in particular, the Public Prosecutor has announced that, on 19 November 1996, he would be calling for the death sentence to be pronounced in the cases of Zviad Dzidziguri, a freely elected Member of the Georgian Parliament, and of Vakhtang Kobalia and Jambul Bokuchava, military officers, and for a 13-year prison sentence to be handed down in the case of Nugzar Molodinashvili, MP,

C. whereas, further, another three Georgian deputies, Viktor Domukhovski, Valter Shurgaia and Zaur Kobalia, have been imprisoned in unacceptable conditions since October 1993,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the Council to inform President Shevardnadze as a matter of urgency of the indignation felt by the Members of the European Parliament;

2. Calls on its President, given the urgent nature of this issue, to demand forthwith from the Georgian authorities an assurance that they will not permit the pronunciation of the death sentence under any circumstances;

3. Calls on the Georgian authorities to allow independent observers to be present at trials involving opposition representatives;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and to the Government of Georgia.
B4-1389 and 1419/96

Resolution on the case of Frantisek Gaulieder, Member of the Slovak Parliament

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the Slovak Republic,

A. whereas the Europe Agreement between the European Union and Slovakia requires respect for human rights and the rights of minorities, democracy and the rule of law,

B. whereas Frantisek Gaulieder, Member of the Slovak Parliament, left the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) on 4 November 1996,

C. whereas a vote in the Slovak Parliament took place on 4 December 1996, in the absence of the members of the opposition who stayed away in protest, which removed the parliamentary mandate of Mr Gaulieder against his will,

D. whereas Mr Gaulieder has received several anonymous threats and whereas a bomb demolished the front of his house on 6 December 1996,

1. Emphasizes that a member of parliament exercises his mandate freely;

2. Notes that the Slovak opposition leader, Mr Jan Carnogursky, protested strongly against this undemocratic action against a member of the government party who was troublesome to the government;

3. Urges the Slovak Parliament to reconsider its position on this matter;

4. Calls on the Slovak authorities to undertake a proper investigation into the bomb explosion near Mr Gaulieder's house;

5. Reminds the Slovak Government that respect for fundamental democratic principles, including the free exercise of parliamentary mandates, is a condition for entering into and developing cooperation with the EU;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission and the Slovak Parliament and Government.
B4-0082, 0093, 0105, 0113, 0126 and 0138/97

Resolution on the situation in Albania

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Albania,

A. noting with great concern that, as a result of the collapse of the so-called 'pyramid investment schemes', Albania is facing a deep financial and economic crisis,

B. noting that the collapse of these investment funds has meant a personal disaster for a large part of the population in Albania,

C. noting that the unsatisfactory reaction by President Sali Berisha and the Government to the fate of the people has provoked severe protests in many Albanian towns which were violently suppressed by the authorities,

D. noting that, during these protests, people have been killed and several hundred wounded and that many representatives of the opposition and of the media were arrested,

E. emphasizing that further political and economic destabilization in Albania may have serious repercussions for the whole region,

F. alarmed by the reports on the involvement of international crime networks in these activities and illegal actions,

1. Expresses its deep concern regarding the severe economic disruption in Albania and the serious implications which this may have for the country's future economic development;

2. Expresses, furthermore, its deep concern about the violent way in which protests against the Government's handling of the economic crisis have ended, and deplores the fact that during these demonstrations, people were killed and many hundreds of people were wounded;

3. Calls on the President and the Government of Albania to end their harassment of representatives of the opposition and to enter into serious and meaningful negotiations with the opposition in order to bring the country's economic and political instability to an end;

4. Calls on the Albanian Government to return the funds of the failed savings companies to the savers who have been hardest hit, while informing the public of the risks posed by such companies;

5. Calls on the Albanian government to act rapidly so as to support the newly appointed inquiry committees with the technical assistance of the international financial institutions;

6. Calls on the Commission, as part of its various programmes, to provide technical assistance for reform of the financial and banking sectors;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Government and Parliament of Albania.
B4-0205/97

Resolution on the floods in Mozambique

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the floods which have recently ravaged Mozambique,

B. whereas the floods killed 78 people and have made 400 000 others homeless, 25 000 of whom have had to seek shelter in Malawi, Zambia, or Zimbabwe,

C. whereas approximately 70 000 hectares of land under various crops have been laid waste, adding still further to the food problems affecting the population,

D. whereas the schools, health stations, bridges, and water supply points which have been destroyed will need to be rebuilt quickly,

E. having regard to the fears of the local authorities that the floods may lead to an outbreak of epidemic diseases such as cholera and malaria,

F. having regard to the special appeal by the Mozambican Government, which estimates that some USD 30 million in aid will be required,

The European Parliament,

1. Expresses its sorrow and extends its sympathy to the victims and their families;

2. Calls on the Commission to grant emergency aid in order to alleviate the suffering of the people and the damage they have sustained;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Government of Mozambique.
B4-0388, 0428 and 0436/97

Resolution on Indonesia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Indonesia,

A. whereas the Indonesian authorities continue to severely restrict civil liberties and violate human rights, both in Indonesia and in occupied East Timor, as pointed out in a resolution by the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva,

B. whereas only three parties, all of them pro-government, have been permitted to take part in the general elections scheduled for 29 May 1997,

C. deeply concerned at the severe sentences passed by Indonesian courts against peaceful government critics and the many arrests of students who protest against the severely controlled election campaign,

D. whereas the Indonesian Government has objected to an independent election committee monitoring the elections,

E. noting that the Indonesian Government has not yet ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights or the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment,

1. Reaffirms its solidarity with the aims and goals of the Indonesian pro- democracy movement in the struggle for a just, democratic and pluralist society;

2. Condemns the harsh sentences passed against leaders of opposition parties, trade unionists and other government critics and calls on the Indonesian authorities to release all political prisoners, give international humanitarian organizations access to prisoners, respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and repeal legislation allowing for the imprisonment of peaceful political activists;

3. Reiterates its demand that the Indonesian Government bring to an end torture and executions;

4. Calls on the Indonesian authorities to accept independent monitoring of the forthcoming elections;

5. Urges the Council and the Commission to express their concern about the human rights situation in Indonesia in general and about the silencing of the opposition and the undemocratic way that elections are carried out in particular;

6. Calls on the Commission to uphold the position that trade relations with ASEAN states should be subject to respect for human rights, and to adhere to the position that these two matters cannot be discussed separately;

7. Reiterates its demand that the Member States of the European Union withhold all military assistance and all arms sales to Indonesia;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Indonesia, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
B4-0363, 0414 and 0421/97

Resolution on social labelling

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolution of 14 December 1995 on the application of social clauses within the framework of the multiannual programme for generalized tariff preferences inter alia with regard to Pakistan and Myanmar (Burma) ((OJ C 17, 22.1.1996, p. 201.)),

- having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'European 'fair trade¨ marking movement' (CES 538/96, 24 April 1996) and its recommendation that a separate budget heading be created to promote the work of the certification organizations,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission to the Council on the trading system and internationally recognized labour standards (COM(96)0402),

A. whereas in a number of the world's countries working conditions are inhumane, particularly for women, and whereas millions of children are being exploited and reduced to slavery,

B. whereas the 'Clean Clothes¨ campaign launched by European NGOs is currently under way in several Union countries,

C. whereas one of the campaign's aims is to require brand-name manufacturers and distributors to observe workers' rights and subscribe to a code of conduct monitored by an independent organization,

D. having regard to the efforts of the Rugmark Foundation in India and Nepal to help eliminate exploitative child labour in the carpet industry by means of its certification system on the basis of monitoring compliance with labour standards,

1. Considers that forced labour and the abuse of women's and child labour are violations of human rights;

2. Welcomes the initiative of the NGOs behind the 'Clean Clothes¨ campaign and Rugmark and the other fair-trade initiatives and gives them its support;

3. Asks the Commission accordingly to give these NGOs active support by granting them a subsidy so that they can expand their activities;

4. Calls on the Commission to draft a directive concerning social labelling on textile products, shoes and carpets which indicates that workers' rights have been respected;

5. Calls on the Commission to submit as soon as possible practical proposals as to how, in time for the beginning of 1998, use can be made of the possibility provided for by the GSP of granting additional tariff preferences to countries which comply with the fundamental ILO conventions (inter alia against child labour);

6. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to continue their efforts to introduce a social clause at WTO level;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the ILO and WTO Secretaries-General.
B4-0754, 0771 and 0797/97

Resolution on the hearing on the Spanish nationals who disappeared under the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet and the Spanish victims of that dictatorship

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions in defence of democracy and human rights during the dictatorship of General Pinochet in Chile,

- having regard to its resolutions of 18 November 1993 ((OJ C 329, 6.12.1993, p. 278.)) and 20 June 1996 ((OJ C 198, 8.7.1996, p. 209.)) on the case of the international official Carmelo Soria, murdered by DINA agents who have been identified and remain unpunished today,

A. whereas the defence of human rights constitutes its cornerstone,

B. whereas the DINA was declared to be a criminal organization by the Chilean Supreme Court, taking international humanitarian law as precedent,

C. whereas General Pinochet is still commander-in-chief of the Chilean army, pursuant to a law which he himself enacted; whereas he periodically issues provocations against the democratic civilian authorities,

D. having regard to the democratic clause contained in the agreements which the European Union signs with third countries,

E. noting the charge brought by the Spanish Union of Progressive Prosecutors concerning crimes against humanity carried out between 1973 and 1990 in Chile or abroad by persons working on the orders of General Pinochet,

F. whereas this charge has been declared admissible by the Central Magistrates Court No 6 of the Spanish Audiencia Nacional,

1. Affirms that the systematic, planned crimes against humanity and the serious systematic violation of human rights and the actions of criminal organizations such as the DINA have no time limit whatever, and no amnesty can be granted for them, and that all states are obliged at all times and in all places to pass sentence on the criminals responsible;

2. Expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and encourages the Spanish judge in charge of the case, Judge García Castellón, to continue with his work on this case;

3. Welcomes the help being provided by the political and judicial authorities of the USA to Judge García Castellón;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, and the Chilean Parliament, Senate and Government.
B4-0936 and 0967/97

Resolution on detentions without trial in Malaysia

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the Internal Security Act which allows the Malaysian government to order indefinite detention without charge or trial of any person suspected of threatening national security,

B. having regard to reports from international organizations stating that presently over 200 people are being detained under the Internal Security Act; whereas at the beginning of November 1997 ten more arrests were made under the same legislation,

C. whereas, in addition to the Internal Security Act, Article 149 of the Malaysian Constitution has given legitimacy to other laws used by the authorities to detain thousands of Malaysians without trial for alleged criminal offences,

D. whereas 36 Malaysian organizations gathered in Perak on 26 October 1997 to call upon their government to abolish the Internal Security Act and all other laws providing for detention without trial and to plead for fair and public trial of prisoners,

E. whereas the guarantee not to be detained in any way without a fair and public trial is a basic and fundamental human right,

The European Parliament,

1. Deplores the fact that the Internal Security Act permits the Malaysian authorities not to charge detainees;

2. Urges the Malaysian authorities to adapt the Malaysian Constitution and enact laws which ensure fair and public trials for all detainees;

3. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to press the Malaysian government to respect human rights and review the Internal Security Act;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and the Government of Malaysia.