JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

18 December 2002

pursuant to Rule 50(5) of the Rules of Procedure by

• –Thomas Mann and Bernd Posselt on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
• –Margrietus J. van den Berg on behalf of the PSE Group
• –Elly Plooij-van Gorsel, Ole Andreasen and Bob van den Bos on behalf of the ELDR Group
• –Per Gahrton, Reinhold Messner and Nelly Maes on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
• –Jonas Sjöstedt, Pernille Frahm and Giuseppe Di Lello Finuoli on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
• –Cristiana Muscardini, José Ribeiro e Castro, Luís Queiró on behalf of the UEN Group

replacing the motions by the following groups:

• –ELDR (B5‑0642/2002),
• –GUE/NGL (B5‑0646/2002),
• –Verts/ALE (B5‑0648/2002),
• –PSE (B5‑0651/2002),
• –PPE-DE (B5‑0656/2002),
• –UEN (B5‑0658/2002),

on the human rights situation of the Tibetan ethnic minority in China

European Parliament resolution on the human rights situation of the Tibetan ethnic minority in China

The European Parliament,

-  recalling its earlier resolutions on Tibet and the human rights situation in China,

A.  whereas on 3 December 2002 the Kardze (Ganzi) Intermediate People's Court in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province sentenced Tenzin Delek, an influential Buddhist lama, to death, suspended for two years, and sentenced his attendant, Lobsang Dhondup, to death for immediate execution,

B.  whereas Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup had been arrested on 7 April 2002 following a bombing incident in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, on 3 April 2002,

C.  whereas Tenzin Delek was charged with 'causing explosions' and 'inciting separatism' and Lobsang Dhondup with 'inciting separatism', 'causing explosions' and 'illegal possession of guns and ammunition',

D.  whereas Tenzin Delek was reportedly held incommunicado for eight months from his arrest until the trial,

E.  whereas the guilt of Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup has not been proven,

F.  whereas this is the first reported case for many years of death sentences being passed on Tibetans for alleged political offences,

G.  whereas the Chinese Government recently received representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,

1.  Reiterates its support for the rule of law and urges the Chinese Government to immediately commute the death sentences handed down to Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup;

2.  Expresses its dismay at the imprisonment and detention in isolation of Tenzin Delek and Lobsang Dhondup for eight months from their arrest until the trial;

3.  Urges the authorities to guarantee that the two men will not be ill-treated in detention, asks for an immediate review of the case and calls on the Chinese authorities to do all in their power to establish that international human rights and humanitarian law standards are being respected and, in particular, to guarantee internationally recognised legal proceedings for persons arrested;

4.  Underlines the importance of the fight against terrorism, but states this must go hand in hand with the rule of law;

5.  Welcomes the release of Ngawang Sangdrol and Jigme Sangpo, Tibet’s longest-serving prisoners of conscience, and urges the Chinese authorities to continue with prisoner releases;

6.  Calls on the Government of China to continue to ensure dialogue between the government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama;

7.  Calls on the EU to make its financial aid available in the light of progress with the human rights situation of the Tibetan ethnic minority in China, especially in the Tibet region;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Secretary-General and the Government of China.