European Parliament resolution on Nepal
Date: 2001-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: EU relations, Nepal, civil war, diplomatic relations, human rights

25.7.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 177 E/319

7.
Calls on its President, the Commission, the Council and the governments and parliaments of the
Member States to intervene with the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to ensure that Turkey
implements the letter and spirit of the decision in the case concerning Sadak, Zana and others, as some
personalities have already done;

Thursday 13 December 2001

III.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council, the parliament
and government of Turkey and the military junta of Burma.

*

*

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25. Nepal

B5-0761, 0772, 0780, 0794, 0807 and 0810/2001

European Parliament resolution on Nepal

The European Parliament,

A. deeply concerned at the breaking of the four-month cease-fire by the Maoist rebels and the resulting

violence in Nepal, which has claimed well over 1 000 lives,

B.

recalling the optimism expressed by the European Union as recently as September 2001 that negoti-
ations between the Government and the CPN (Maoists) would result in a peaceful resolution of the
conflict between the Maoist opposition forces and the government of Nepal within the framework of
the rule of law, respect for human rights and multi-party democracy,

C. whereas it is the first time since 1990, when the constitutional monarchy was established, that a state
of emergency has been declared and that the army has been deployed to combat the Maoist insur-
gents,

D. whereas, also for the first time, the declaration of a state of emergency has had the effect of suspend-
ing freedom of speech, assembly and movement, restricting freedom of the press and suspending
Article 23 of the Constitution on judicial guarantees,

E.

F.

concerned that the army will be allowed to detain people for up to 48 hours, possibly at undisclosed
locations and without safeguards, and that the new Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Ordinance
could lead to people being detained without charge for up to 180 days simply for expressing their
peaceful political ideas,

alarmed at the planting of several bombs in various locations in Kathmandu, including industrial areas,
and at the finding of one of the bombs in Thamel, where the highest concentration of tourists is to be
found,

G. whereas the fight against ‘terrorism’ must not affect respect for human rights, which is the best means

of guaranteeing the rule of law,

H.

aware and concerned that since the start in 1995 of the conflict, which has claimed thousands of lives,
the domestic political situation in Nepal has become increasingly unstable and there is now the danger
of a civil war,

I.

concerned at the fact that children as young as 14, including girls, are being recruited by members of
the armed opposition group,

J. whereas the higher castes (12 % of the population) hold 70 % of administrative power and 95 % of the

kingdom’s wealth,

K. whereas the future of Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries in the world and has benefited
from EU support since 1977, and whose main source of foreign currency revenue is tourism, is being
seriously jeopardised by the escalation of violence,

C 177 E/320

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

25.7.2002

Thursday 13 December 2001

Expresses its deep regret at the breaking of the cease-fire by the Maoist rebels and condemns the

1.
violence which has since occurred;

2.
Demands a swift end to the violence, so that the population, most of whom have been impoverished
for decades, is no longer deprived of urgently needed sources of revenue, including revenue lost as a result
of the absence of tourists;

3.
Calls on the Nepalese government and parliament to fight against corruption and to introduce lasting
economic and structural reforms leading to sustainable and equitable development for the benefit of the
citizens of Nepal;

4.
Calls on the CPN to desist at once from all acts of violence and to lay down its arms, and calls on the
Government of Nepal and the CPN, once these conditions have been met, to resume the search for a
negotiated settlement leading to a lasting peace;

5.

Recalls its commitment to the multi-party democracy that was established in 1990;

Calls on the EU to make additional financial aid available in the light of progress towards a negoti-

6.
ated peace settlement;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, and the parliament

7.
and government of Nepal.

26. Congo

B5-0773, 0781, 0785, 0795 and 0808/2001

European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

The European Parliament,

D having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC),

D having regard to the resolution adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on the situation

in Central Africa,

D having regard to the Council statement calling for the withdrawal of foreign armed forces and for the

disarming and demobilisation of the combatants,

A. deeply shocked by the UN 2002 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the DRC which reveals hor-
rendous figures, since nearly 3 million children, women and men have been killed as a result of fore-
ign occupation, more than 2 million people have been displaced within the borders of their own
country and 16 million people are threatened with death as a result of malnutrition, the absence of
medical care and the abuses of the armed factions who plunder the local populations,

B. whereas, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the situation in Congo-Kinshasa
has contributed to a tragic 22 % increase in malnutrition rates worldwide over the last ten years,

C.

D.

reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the DRC and of all States
in the region,

reaffirming also the sovereignty of the DRC over its natural resources and having regard to UN Secur-
ity Council resolution 1376, adopted on 9 November 2001, which called for all States to withdraw
their forces from the DRC and reiterated condemnation of all illegal exploitation of natural resources
in that country,

E. whereas the illegal exploitation of these resources has already been described as ‘systematic looting’ in

a recent United Nations report,