WRITTEN QUESTION P-0481/01 by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Council. Falun Gong.
Date: 2001-02-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, crime against individuals, human rights, religious group, repression, the EU's international role

C 340 E/30

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

4.12.2001

(2001/C 340 E/036)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0481/01

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Council

(14 February 2001)

Subject: Falun Gong

Has the Council registered its strong disapproval to the Chinese authorities regarding their treatment of
Falun Gong practitioners? If so, what response has it received?

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-0444/01 and P-0481/01

(10 July 2001)

The restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China are a recurrent item on the agenda of the EU-
China human rights dialogue. The issue was identified by the Council
in its conclusions of 22 and
23 January 2001 as one of the specific areas in which the EU considers that the dialogue process should
secure progress.

The EU has on several occasions expressed its deep concern to the Chinese authorities regarding the
measures taken against followers of religious and spiritual movements, including Falun Gong practitioners.
This matter was also discussed at the last round of the human rights dialogue which took place on 22 and
23 February in Stockholm. In fact, on 2 February the Troika in Beijing carried out a demarche in
preparation for the upcoming round of the EU-China human rights dialogue. The EU side gave the Chines
authorities a list of individual cases requesting that clemency measures be taken, and in that context orally
mentioned the names of Falun Gong followers Li Xiaobing, Li Xiaomei and Yu Changxin.

There is little information on the fate of Falun Gong detainees. The Hong Kong-based Information Centre
for Human Rights and Democracy counted 98 such deaths nation-wide between July 1999 and mid-
January 2001. It should be noted that 46 have occurred since October 2000, suggesting an increase in the
incidence of mistreatment of followers in recent months. According to the Information Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy, around 450 have been sentenced by courts, several hundred have been committed
to psychiatric institutions, and as many as 10 000 are currently serving (cid:145)re-education(cid:146) labour sentences.

The EU(cid:146)s position is that it does not want to engage in a discussion on the nature of the movement, but
that restrictions of freedom of religion and belief and freedom of assembly should be lifted and that the
human rights of all, including followers of Falun Gong, should be respected.

In its conclusions of 19 May 2001, the General Affairs Council stated that it was particularly concerned
about the lack of respect for fundamental freedoms in China, including the freedom of expression, religion
and association, and about the ongoing violations of human rights, in particular of Falun Gong followers.
In the same conclusions, the Council agreed the approach to be adopted with regard to the United States(cid:146)
decision to table a draft resolution on human rights in China at the 57th session of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights.

(2001/C 340 E/037)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0462/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Council

(14 February 2001)

Subject: Threat to peace in the Balkans and the rise in Albanian nationalism

In my capacity as European Parliament rapporteur on the implementation of
the action plan for
Albania and the neighbouring region, I am fully aware of the difficulties facing the Albanian Government