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Motion for a resolution - B8-0260/2019Motion for a resolution
B8-0260/2019

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on China, notably the situation of religious and ethnic minorities

16.4.2019 - (2019/2690(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure

Nathalie Griesbeck, Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Gérard Deprez, María Teresa Giménez Barbat, Marian Harkin, Petr Ježek, Louis Michel, Javier Nart, Urmas Paet, Maite Pagazaurtundúa Ruiz, Carolina Punset, Frédérique Ries, Robert Rochefort, Marietje Schaake, Jasenko Selimovic, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen, Derek Vaughan, Mirja Vehkaperäon behalf of the ALDE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0255/2019

Procedure : 2019/2690(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B8-0260/2019

B8‑0260/2019

European Parliament resolution on China, notably the situation of religious and ethnic minorities

(2019/2690(RSP))

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Amnesty International 2018 global review of the death penalty of 10 April 2019,

-having regard to the EU-China Summit Joint statement of 9 April 2019,

-having regard to the 37th EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in Brussels on 1-2 April 2019,

-having regard to the joint communication EU-China - A strategic outlook, by the European Commission and the EEAS, of 12 March 2019,

-having regard to the European Parliament resolution on the State of EU-China relations of 12 September 2018, and on the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Kazakhs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of 4 October 2018, and all its other previous resolutions on China

-having regard to Article 36 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, which guarantees all citizens the right to freedom of religious belief and to Article 4 thereof, which upholds the rights of minority nationalities,

-having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966,

-having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

-having regard to Rule 135 of the rules of Procedure,

 

 

A. whereas China strengthens its economic and political role at global level; whereas since President Xi came to power the human rights situation is further deteriorating;

 

B. whereas the deterioration of the human rights includes a crackdown on civil society, arresting hundreds of lawyers and activists as the authorities become less tolerant of any speech challenging the government; whereas dissidents such as Ai Wei Wei are forced to live in exile;

 

C. whereas Chinese authorities continue to harass and detain journalists who cover human rights issues, as well as their interviewees

 

D. whereas the revised Regulations on Religious Affairs is in force since 1 February 2018, the National Security Law, was adopted by the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress on 1 July 2015, and the Overseas NGO Management Law, was published on 5 July 2015;

 

E. whereas the EU in its first of the ten actions in the new strategic outlook on China puts as one of three priority areas a strengthened cooperation on human rights;

 

F. whereas China commits in the EU-China Summit Joint statement of 9 April 2019, to uphold the UN Charter and international law, and reaffirms that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated;

 

G. whereas the situation in Xinjiang has rapidly deteriorated, where an extrajudicial detention programme has been established, reportedly detaining upwards of a million Uyghurs in ‘re-education camps’, and are subject to a  sophisticated network of invasive digital surveillance; whereas all Uyghurs in the region are required to have a specific spyware app on their mobile phones and failing to install the app is an offense;

 

H. Whereas all over China, the collection of data on consumer habits, banking activity, health status and DNA profiles as well as the deployment of AI and facial recognition technologies is used to develop an excessive surveillance system, that significantly violates the right to privacy, and impacts other universal human rights such as free expression and association; 

 

I. Whereas the assault on Hong Kong’s freedoms, particularly the right to freedom of expression, association and political participation, continues to worsen;

 

J. Whereas a large numbers of prisoners of conscience, primarily practitioners of Falun Gong, a heavily persecuted spiritual practice, as well as Uighurs, Tibetans and Christians, have been used as a living organ bank;

 

K. whereas in Tibet the use of surveillance and control measures is increasing the past years and arbitrary detentions continue; whereas the Chinese government has created an environment where there are no limits to state authority and every aspect of public and private life is tightly controlled and regulated;

 

L. Whereas worrying reporting tells of increased state interference with Christian religious communities, in both registered and unregistered churches, in terms of demolition of churches and harassments and imprisonments;

 

M. whereas the Xinjiang region constitutes a significantly important part of the Belt and Road Initiative;

 

N. whereas the international covenant on civil and political rights has been signed but not ratified;

 

O. Whereas the Chinese government threatens academic freedom, by monitoring and conducting surveillance on students and academics from China and those studying China on campuses around the world; Whereas censorship and self-censorship of academics are of serious concern

 

P. whereas according to the Amnesty International’s 2018 global review of death penalty, and despite consequent calls for transparency by the UN and the international community, China applies an “almost absolute secrecy” over the real number and despite this is at the top of the list of number of executions globally;

 

 

 

1. Is highly concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in China, specifically when it comes to the treatment of Uyghur and Tibetan minorities, the situation in Hong Kong, as well as the position of lawyers, activists and journalists;

 

2. Underlines China’s responsibilities as a global power and calls on the authorities to ensure in all circumstances respect for international law, democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments signed or ratified by China;

 

3. Calls for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained people, prisoners of conscience, primarily practitioners of Falun Gong, a stop to enforced disappearances, and insists that all individuals can choose their legal representative, have access to their family and to medical assistance as well has have their cases investigated;

 

4. In this context calls on China to immediately release EU national Gui Minhai; Uighurs, including Ilham Tohti, Tashpolat Tiyip, Rahile Dawut, Eli Mamut, Hailaite Niyazi, Memetjan Abdulla, Abduhelil Zunun, and Abdukerim Abduweli; Individuals persecuted for their religious beliefs, including Zhang Shaojie, Hu Shigen, Wang Yi, and Sun Qian; Tibetan activists, writers and religious figures who face criminal charges or have been imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression, including Tashi Wangchuk and Lobsang Dargye;

 

5. Urges the Chinese government to release the full details of those forcibly disappeared in Xinjiang—including their names, whereabouts and current status;

 

6. Calls on China to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights;

 

7. Calls on the Chinese Government to immediately end the mass arbitrary detention of members of the Uyghur and Kazakh minorities, to close all camps and detention centres and to release detained persons immediately and unconditionally; is deeply concerned by the numerous allegations of poor conditions, torture and deaths inside the camps; reminds the Chinese authorities that re-education facilities have no legal basis;

 

8. Is deeply concerned about the increasingly repressive and invasive security and surveillance measures in Xinjiang by the government’s general use of high-tech mass-surveillance systems; emphasizes that government control and the compulsory mass collection of data of citizens primarily violates the right to privacy of all, and specifically targets and affects Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, in violation of international law’s prohibition against discrimination

 

9. takes note that China has invited delegations from countries who have signed up to the Belt and Road Initiative to the Xinjiang province, strongly urges China to also allow independent observers, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as for UN Special Procedures access to Xinjiang, as well as to Tibet;

 

10. Condemns the anti-Buddhism campaigns carried out via the ‘patriotic education’ approach, including measures to stage-manage Tibetan Buddhist Monastries; is concerned that China’s criminal law is being abused to persecute Tibetans and Buddhists, whose religious activities are equated with ‘separatism’, deplores the fact that the environment for practising Buddhism in Tibet has worsened significantly after the Tibetan protests of March 2008, with the Chinese government adopting a more pervasive approach to ‘patriotic education’;

 

11. Calls on the Chinese authorities to end the crackdown on the Christian religious community, stop harassment and detention of Christian pastors and priests and forced demolition of churches;

 

12. Calls on EU institutions and Member States to ensure that students and scholars from China can enjoy academic freedom abroad, by adopting robust protections and keeping academic institutions open to those who seek academic freedom;

 

13. Urges the VP/HR, the EEAS and Member States to more intensely monitor the worrying human rights developments in Xinjiang, including the increased government repression and surveillance and to privately and publicly speak out against violations of human rights in China;

 

14. Calls on EU leaders to persistently repeat the concerns over the situation on human rights for different religious groups and ethnic minorities in meetings and in their relations with members of the Chinese government, including the increased government repression of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, and to send a strong and consistent message to the highest level of the government to end the grotesque human rights violations;

 

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security policy, the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China;

 

 

Last updated: 15 April 2019
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