WRITTEN QUESTION E-0711/01 by Per Gahrton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Situation of the Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Date: 2001-03-08
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, EU relations, ethnic discrimination, ethnic group, protection of minorities

C 318 E/106

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.11.2001

Commission to assess the issues in relation to applicable Community environmental law, the Commission
would be able to start an investigation on the case.

(1) Priorities and criteria governing the Commission(cid:146)s discretionary power are listed in the Fourteenth annual report on

monitoring the application of Community law (cid:129) 1996 (OJ C 332, 3.11.1997).

(2) OJ L 135, 30.5.1991.
(3) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975.
(4) OJ L 78, 26.3.1991.

(2001/C 318 E/110)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0711/01

by Per Gahrton (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 March 2001)

Subject: Situation of the Uighurs in Xinjiang

According to reports by human rights organisations, the situation of the Uighurs in Xinjiang is alarming in
many ways. What is the Commission(cid:146)s picture of the situation? In what way is the EU endeavouring to
improve the situation of the Uighurs?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(8 May 2001)

The Union is committed to strengthening respect for human rights everywhere in the world. They
represent a central
issue in the Union(cid:146)s relations with third countries. The Commission is therefore
following closely the human rights situation in China, including the situation of the mainly Islamic Uighurs
who live in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. The issue is raised regularly with China in the context of
the Union/China human rights dialogue.

There are over seven million Turkic speaking Uighurs in Xinjiang, which borders Afghanistan, Pakistan,
Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The Chinese central authorities are worried about
separatist Uighur groups and most forms of religious and cultural expression and public activity are
controlled and judged for political content.

While living conditions for the majority of the Chinese population have improved in the last twenty years
and economic reform and liberalisation have introduced an increased degree of
freedom and self-
determination for the individual there is still a wide gap between China(cid:146)s international commitments and
the human rights situation on the ground.

A bilateral dialogue on human rights was established between the Union and China in 1996. Issues raised
with China include the repression of ethnic minorities and religious freedom, repression of political
dissidence, arbitrary detention conditions, and the extensive use of the death penalty. The Union has also
regularly called on China to rapidly ratify the two United Nations Covenants on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, and on Civil and Political Rights that China signed in 1997 and 1998. These two
Covenants remain the cornerstone for improving the situation of individual rights in China. It is to be
welcomed that the National People(cid:146)s Congress (NPC) recently decided to approve the ratification of the
United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, albeit with some reservations, and it
will now need to be implemented. The Union will continue to press for the ratification of the Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights.

The Union will continue to raise the issue of the situation of the Uighurs in its human rights dialogue with
China and elsewhere.