WRITTEN QUESTION E-1457/02 by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Arrest of Tibetan boy.
Date: 2002-05-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, EU relations, Tibetan question, child protection, children's rights, political prisoner

C 137 E/8

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

12.6.2003

The Council hopes that all players on the Venezuelan political and social scene, as well as the media,
5.
will act in a responsible manner in order to maintain stability and look to resolve any differences through
peaceful and constructive dialogue.

6. Ministers discussed the events in Venezuela over lunch during the Council meeting on 15 April
2002. They stressed the importance of preserving democratic principles in particular under the Charter of
the Organisation of American States. The Council would also refer the Honourable Member to the
declaration made by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on 9 October 2001.

(2003/C 137 E/008)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1457/02

by Hanja Maij-Weggen (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(23 May 2002)

Subject: Arrest of Tibetan boy

Is the Commission aware that
imprisoned by the Chinese authorities for political reasons?

the twelve-year-old Tibetan boy Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has been

Is the Commission prepared to ask the Chinese authorities for clarification of their motives for imprisoning
this Tibetan boy?

What steps can the Commission take to protect children from human rights violations of this kind in
China?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(25 June 2002)

The EU is aware that the Chinese authorities in Tibet identified Gyaltsen Norbu as Panchen Lama at
Tashilhunpo monastery, Shigatse, on 8 December 1996, after rejecting the Dalai Lama’s choice, Gedhun
Choekyi Nyima, who has been living since then with his family in an unknown location.

The EU continues to stress that China should respect international standards and instruments with regard
to minority rights and is very concerned about the human rights situation in Tibet. The EU raises the issue
regularly in our interactions with the Chinese authorities, including at the highest level and during regular
meetings of the EU-China human rights dialogue. We emphasise the need for China to respect cultural and
linguistic rights, religious freedoms and the protection of minorities in Tibet. We also ask for direct
dialogue between the Beijing authorities and the Dalai Lama, and access for an independent delegation to
Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.

The EU is committed to respecting childrens’ rights and supports the approach of the UN Convention on
the Rights of the Child, which stipulates that children are fully ‘citizens’ and fully ‘human persons’, and that
they are able to understand their own needs and interests. For this reason, they must be allowed to express
their thoughts and have their opinions taken into account.

In conjunction with local NGOs, the Commission has, at present, two projects in operation concerning
childrens’ health and welfare in several communities throughout China.

The Commission has also established, as a new initiative, a Human Rights Small Projects Facility
administered by the EC Delegation in Beijing. In this context, the EC Delegation is currently assessing
several co-operation projects aimed at improving child welfare and protecting children’s rights in China.