WRITTEN QUESTION E-3578/02 by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Persecution of members of the unofficial Catholic Church in the People's Republic of China.
Date: 2002-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, EU relations, arrest, forced disappearance, freedom of religious beliefs, human rights, religious group

C 155 E/172

Official Journal of the European Union

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3.7.2003

In conclusion, the financial corrections applied until now correspond with the financial risk to the fund as
assessed by the Commission. The situation for 2002 will be assessed during the next year and, based on
the progress made, and on the remaining weaknesses, the Commission will consider making use of the
most appropriate means in such cases, including if necessary reductions of payments to the Member State.

(1) OJ L 204, 11.8.2000.
(2) OJ L 355, 5.12.1992.

(2003/C 155 E/191)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3578/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(13 December 2002)

Subject: Persecution of members of the unofficial Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China

For many decades, members of the so-called unofficial Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China
have been subjected to a policy of intolerance, abuse, harassment and repression at the hands of the
Chinese authorities. The members of the Church refuse to join the Patriotic Association of Chinese
Catholics. According to information published by the Fides Agency, this policy led to 129 deaths, around
24 000 arbitrary arrests and more than 20 000 cases of maltreatment and physical abuse between 1983
and April 2002. Protestants who refuse to join the Patriotic Association suffer the same fate.

More recently, numerous cases of persecution of the representatives and leaders of the unofficial Catholic
Church have been reported.

In the province of Hebei, near Beijing, which is home to one million members of the unofficial Catholic
Church, and in particular in the diocese of Baoding, public security forces (police and local authorities)
have in recent years arrested the following priests:

(cid:1) Yibao Guo (detained in Xushui prison since April 2000);

(cid:1) Genyou Lu (arrested at the beginning of this year, sentenced to 3 years’ hard labour and detained in

Gaoyang prison);

(cid:1) Zhenhe Wang (arrested on 14 April 1999, detained in Xushui prison);

(cid:1) Zhengjun Yin (arrested on 27 January 2001, sentenced to 3 years of re-education through labour and

detained in Baoding prison);

(cid:1) Chunguang Zhang (arrested at the beginning of 2001, detained in Xushui prison);

(cid:1) Jianbo Li (arrested on 19 April 2001 in Xilinhaute in Southern Mongolia, known as Inner Mongolia);

(cid:1) Yongxing Pang, Shunbao Ma and Limao Wang (arrested on 7 July 2002 and sentenced to 3 years’
the Balizhuang labour camp in

hard labour for having ‘disrupted social harmony’, detained at
Baoding).

Moreover, the two bishops of the diocese, Zhimin Su, aged 70, and his assistant Shuxin An, aged 52, have
not been seen since they were last arrested, in 1997 and 1996 respectively. Zhimin Su has already been
deprived of his liberty for over 30 years (in prison, in labour camps, and under house arrest). In the
province of Hebei alone, 9 bishops have either disappeared, been placed under strict surveillance, or
banned from carrying out pastoral duties.

Finally, six Catholic laymen from Wenzhou in the province of Zhejiang were arrested in the province of
Hebei as they were on their way to Donglü, a popular place of pilgrimage in the diocese of Baoding. They
were accused of making an ‘illegal pilgrimage’ and were only released after paying a USD 3 850. A dozen
other pilgrims who were unable to pay the fine are still being held in Donglü prison.

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What information does the Commission have on each of these cases? What steps has the Commission
taken or will it take to induce the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all these
followers of the unofficial Catholic Church and to suppress all the criminal and administrative laws that
shackle religious freedom in the People’s Republic of China?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(20 January 2003)

The Commission has taken note of the arrest of the catholic priests Yibao Guo, Genyou Lu, Zhenhe Wang,
Zhengjun Yin, Chunguang Zhang, Jianbo Li and Yongxing Pang, Shunbao Ma and Limao Wang and of the
disappearance of Zhimin Su and his assistant Shuxin An over recent months.

The Commission considers that freedom of religion and belief to be a fundamental human right, and raises
this issue regularly in the framework of the Union’s dialogue on human rights with China, as was the case
during the last human rights dialogue in Beijing on 13/14 November 2002. The Commission takes these
issues very seriously and has taken all appropriate steps at this stage.

the Commission shares the
the ‘non-official’ Catholic Church in China,
Regarding the situation of
Honourable Member’s concern. While the ‘National Working Meeting on Religion’, held in December
2001, appeared to signal a greater openness towards mainstream religions operating in China, recent
information indicates that restrictions on Catholic underground churches have not been relaxed.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor the Chinese government’s respect for freedom of religion
and belief, and will continue to express concern about violations of this fundamental right, including the
on-going crackdown on persons exercising their religious beliefs.

(2003/C 155 E/192)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3580/02

by Joaquim Miranda (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(13 December 2002)

Subject: Freedom of movement and cooperation between Member States in the sphere of education

For years the European Union has recognised the need to establish cooperation between the Member States
in the sphere of education,
in particular in order to improve the reception and opportunities for
adjustment offered to the children of European citizens who change countries in accordance with freedom
of movement, so as to facilitate their integration into the educational system and social life in the host
country.

On 9 February 1976 the Council of Ministers of Education adopted a Resolution comprising an action
programme in the field of education, the aims of which included:

(cid:1) organising and developing a reception system which would include intensive study of the language or

languages of the host country,

(cid:1) providing more opportunities, as appropriate, for teaching these children their mother tongue and

culture, if possible in school and in collaboration with the country of origin.

Can the Commission say what progress has been made in complying with this Resolution and what the
situation is in each Member State as regards support for teaching the children of nationals of other
Member States the language and culture of their country of origin?