MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

18.10.2005

pursuant to Rule 113 of the Rules of Procedure
by SJOSTEDT, MORGANTINI au nom GUE/NGL
on the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche

NB: This motion for a resolution is available in the original language only.

B6-0575/2005

European Parliament resolution on the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche

The European Parliament,

–  recalling its earlier resolutions on human rights situation in China,

–  having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas on 2 December 2002 the Kardze Intermediate People's Court in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province sentenced Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, an influential and respected Buddhist lama, to death with a two-year suspension and his attendant, Lobsang Dhondup, to death without suspension,

B.  whereas Lobsang Dhondup was executed on 26 January 2003,

C.  whereas the death sentence for Tenzin Delek has been commuted to life imprisonment on 26 January 2005,

D.  whereas human rights organisations report that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is in a life-threatening state of health due to torture and inhuman conditions of imprisonment,

1.  Is deeply concerned about the state of health of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche;

2.  Calls the responsible authorities to do everything to improve the living conditions and state of health of Tenzin Delek;

3.  Demands that the Chinese Government allow Manfred Nowak, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture, during his inspection to China from 21 November to 2 December 2005, to visit Tenzin Delek and report on his state of health;

4.  Reiterates its support for the rule of law and appreciates the commutation of the death sentence handed down to Tenzin Delek;

5.  Affirms its call for the abolition of the death penalty and an immediate moratorium on capital punishment in China;

6.  Calls once more on the Government of the People's Republic of China to improve the inhuman conditions of imprisonment in their jails, to cease and abolish torture of detainees, as well as to stop the continued violation of the human rights of the Tibetan people and other minorities and to ensure that it respects international standards of human rights and humanitarian law;

7.  Calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China and the representatives of the Dalai Lama to continue in their important dialogue in order to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibet issue;

8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Chinese Government and Parliament.