Verbatim report of proceedings

Thursday, 27 October 2005 - Strasbourg

18. Case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche

  President. The next item is the debate on six motions for resolutions on the case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche⁽¹⁾.

  Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg (PSE), author. – (PL) Mr President, one of the last great Tibetan lamas, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, has spent the past 20 years engaged in efforts to protect Tibetan culture. As a leading religious figure in Tibet, he has also played an active role in economic, cultural and social affairs. This Tibetan lama has long been a thorn in the side of the Chinese authorities, even though he has never taken part in political demonstrations.

As a spiritual leader who is wholeheartedly committed to key social measures such as the construction of schools for orphaned children, hospices, local roads and help for older people, he is a leading advocate of peace, whose actions are not in the least aggressive. His popularity led to him being labelled a threat to the local Chinese authorities, however, and the latter arrested him on the pretext that he had allegedly helped to organise a number of attacks. He was accused of terrorism and sentenced to death, without any evidence or a fair trial. He has been held in inhumane conditions for many months awaiting execution, and his current poor health is a direct result of prolonged torture.

In view of the above, we are calling on the Chinese authorities to improve the conditions in which he is held. We are also calling on the Chinese government to undertake efforts to improve the conditions in which other prisoners are held, to abolish torture and, most importantly, to abolish the death penalty. As part of the international community we must make it quite clear that we will not consent to people being imprisoned if they have not been proven guilty. China must respect international human rights standards, human dignity and civil liberties. I would therefore also call on international organisations to bring pressure to bear on China to engage at long last in constructive dialogue with a view to settling the Tibet issue once and for all.

  Eva Lichtenberger (Verts/ALE), author. – (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this is not the first time that we have had to discuss the terrible case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche and take note of China’s unwillingness to go down the road of reconciliation. Far from it: no more than before is he guaranteed a transparent and fair trial, and what is even worse is that torture and the inhumane conditions under which he is incarcerated – without, let it be noted, due process of law – have now brought him to the point where his life is in danger, and this is something about which we absolutely must speak out, and not for the first time.

We in this House owe it to ourselves to take action now, for we have already demanded fair treatment for this man who is almost at the point of death, and whose only crime was to be a beloved teacher and spiritual guide. Now is the time for us to take action and press anew our demands on the Chinese Government.

What makes this all the more necessary is that it would appear that, the greater the appetite the Member States and their governments have for the Chinese market, the more cautious they are about raising human rights issues with their Chinese partners in dialogue. At a time like this and in a context such as this, we owe it to ourselves to defend our values. It is we Members of this House who must do what our governments are failing to do.

In a situation in which Tibet is autonomous only on paper and not in reality, in which the dialogue with the Dalai Lama, having begun so promisingly, is either not continued or deferred again and again, and in which China still does not guarantee human rights, we must speak up and speak out, demanding that this state of affairs be brought to an end and that order be restored.

  Thomas Mann (PPE-DE), author. – (DE) Mr President, the resolutions we adopted on 18 November 2004 and 13 January 2005, combined with massive diplomatic protests and the actions of human rights organisations did have some results, for they did bring about the commutation of the death sentence passed on the respected Lama Tenzin Delek Rinpoche to one of life imprisonment. The Chinese authorities regard him as a criminal, accusing him of undermining the security of the state, and – without any evidence – of involvement in bomb attacks. They continue to refuse him a fair trial with international observers present.

Where I am in full agreement with both the previous speakers is that the real reason for his imprisonment is his great influence on the Tibetan people and his support for the Dalai Lama. The death sentence may well have been annulled, but it appears to be being carried out by other means; having endured torture and solitary confinement, he is now unable either to speak or to move, and his life is hanging in the balance.

All this House’s political groupings call on the Chinese to delay no longer in improving the conditions under which he is held and to comply strictly with the terms of the UN Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners. We insist that Manfred Nowak, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, be given free access to Tenzin Rinpoche; he will be arriving in China on an inspection mission in three weeks’ time.

The European Commission, the Council and the Member States must establish a close connection between the ongoing fate of China’s political prisoners and the maintenance of the arms embargo imposed on that country. The embargo must remain in place, without any relaxation, for as long as human rights abuses continue. The Chinese Embassy in Brussels has attempted to intervene, claiming that these are internal matters, and that no external organisations or individuals have the right to interfere. These oppressive utterances constitute yet another example of the unsatisfactory outcome of the EU/China Summit of 5 September and of the failure of the human rights dialogue to yield tangible fruit. The Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats wishes to stress the need for international standards and values to be maintained.

What does send a powerful signal to all those who are persecuted for political, religious or cultural reasons is the European Union’s insistence on cooperation with any country being conditional – without any exception – on its respect for human rights. Those who want confrontation to give way to cooperation must uphold human rights and refrain from violating them, for human rights are universal in their application.

(Applause)

  Elizabeth Lynne (ALDE), author. – Mr President, it is not our place to say whether Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is innocent or guilty. However, it is our place to point out human rights violations when we see them. There are real concerns about his detention, trial and sentencing, which were, I believe, miscarriages of justice.

In a news bulletin of 24 October, the Chinese Government said that it was an internal affair for China and that we had no right to interfere. If it is a matter of human rights, we have every right to interfere; that is our job. It is unclear whether he had full access to legal advice throughout the trial process. The Chinese said that he had two lawyers. My sources said that he had no defence counsel whatsoever. My sources also said that he did not confess and he has never confessed to this alleged crime, despite the torture he allegedly suffered for several months before his trial. When he was tried three years ago, there was international outcry, and at that time I understand that the Chinese Government promised a retrial in the Supreme Court. That has not happened. He must be given a fair trial in full accordance with international fair trial standards or released forthwith. There is no other option.

  Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL), author. – (NL) Mr President, oppression in Tibet is often on this House’s order of business. China sees that country as a virtually blank canvas that has to be colonised and made accessible, after which it can be further developed in the modern Chinese manner. At the moment, everything is about discipline and economic growth without any leeway for different opinions. This is at odds with the culture, the traditions and the interests of the Tibetans who have learnt to survive in their inhospitable country and want to be left in peace.

This problem is also reflected within China among other peoples with a different language and culture, such as the Uighurs, who are related to the Turkish peoples in the former Soviet Republics in Central Asia, but, ever since the Dalai Lama’s escape to India, most of the attention has been focused on Tibet.

We cannot really see any improvements in the way in which China deals with the Tibetans. Even though our statements in this House have definitely not had the results that we intended to achieve, it is still right that we should carry on relentlessly. China should not be given the impression that Europe has accepted the status quo for the sake of its own economic interests.

Finally, capital punishment in China has to go, just as it has to go in the USA and the rest of the world. We should fight this point globally and fight for human rights.

  Marcin Libicki (UEN), author. – (PL) Mr President, Commissioner, Tibet is once again the subject of debate in this House. During today’s debate, we must ask ourselves whether the measures taken by Parliament and the Commission have been effective. Unfortunately, the fact that we are holding yet another debate on this issue would suggest not.

Certain Members of the House have claimed that such matters come under the heading of China’s internal affairs, and indeed this is the line taken by the Chinese Embassy in Brussels. This is not the case, however. The concept of internal affairs, which is used to justify all crimes against one’s own nation, is a doctrine espoused only by tyrants, and one that has never been held in civilised Europe. In centuries gone by, the Catholic Church and other religions demanded that citizens be treated properly, and they opposed the notion that rulers could do whatever they wanted with their own citizens. International organisations nowadays never fail to emphasise the fact that internal affairs that violate basic moral principles concern all of humanity.

We must be aware that this issue is about more than just one monk. It is about nothing less than the destruction of Tibet and the Tibetan culture and nation, for no other reason than that this peaceful nation exists. The existence of a nation that differs from their own in cultural, historical and social terms is sufficient reason for the Chinese authorities to attempt to destroy it. Instead of welcoming the completion of a railway link between Tibet and China, we should be alarmed by this development, since one of its purposes is to destroy Tibet further by inundating it with Chinese people and entrepreneurs.

Parliament is very active in this field, and its Intergroup for Tibet has a very committed and energetic president in the shape of Mr Mann. We must do more, however. I would remind the Commissioner that it is high time that the Commission took decisive steps to settle the problems in China once and for all, since its status as a powerful EU body means that it is undoubtedly in a position to do so. Its first step should be to come to the rescue of this poor Tibetan monk.

(Applause)

  Olli Rehn, Member of the Commission. Mr President, the human rights situation in Tibet is of constant concern to the European Union and it features very high on the agenda of the EU-China human rights dialogue. In that context, the European Union has always addressed the rights of minorities, especially in Tibet, and urges the Chinese authorities to preserve the cultural, religious and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people.

The case of the Tibetan monk Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has regularly been brought to the attention of the Chinese authorities in the course of this dialogue. In addition, the EU troika has made three approaches to the Chinese Government, twice last year and in the early part of this year, when the troika met Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan.

In all those instances, the European Union voiced its urgent demand for the abolition of the death penalty in China, expressed the hope that Tenzin Delek Rinpoche would not be executed, and asked for information about the conditions of his arrest and his state of health. Whilst welcoming the decision by the Chinese authorities on 26 January 2005 this year to commute Tenzin Delek Rinpoche’s death sentence to life imprisonment, the European Union remains deeply concerned about the persistent doubts surrounding his trial and the heavy sentence handed down to him. The European Union is fully committed to continuing to follow this issue very closely in the framework of the EU-China human rights dialogue.

On a more general level, as part of its overall policy on Tibet, for many years the European Union has called for and will continue to call for the establishment of a direct dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities as the only realistic way to find a lasting solution to the question of Tibet. The third visit of the Dalai Lama’s special envoys at the end of last year was an encouraging move that should be pursued further.

  President. The debate is closed.

The vote will take place today at 4 p.m.

WRITTEN STATEMENT (RULE 142)

  Filip Andrzej Kaczmarek (PPE-DE).  – (PL) I am all in favour of free trade, but the question we need to ask ourselves is whether we should trade freely with a country that pays no regard to freedoms of other kinds. I do not believe that cultural diversity is any justification for China’s actions. The death penalty is unacceptable in any culture, since it is an insult to the very nature of humanity. China is proud of its new railway line to Tibet, which is the highest in the world. It is worth pointing out, however, that investments in infrastructure are not the only mark of a great civilisation.

If China can build railways of this kind, then it could also improve the living conditions of its prisoners. All it needs is the political will to do so. It is crucially important that the arms embargo against China be maintained, because the fate of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche is ample proof that the country has not learnt its lesson from the events of 4 June 1989. This is a significant date for people in both Poland and China. It is a symbol of hope for the former, since it was the date of the first partially free parliamentary elections.

In China, however, this date has become a symbol of repression, since it is the anniversary of the Tiananmen tragedy. Back in 1989, I wore a badge bearing the Chinese words for freedom and democracy. These two values are what I would wish the Tibetan and Chinese people today.

  Carl Schlyter (Verts/ALE). – (SV) Mr President, on at least five occasions during this part-session, the earphones – and thus the interpretation service - for the whole of the row behind me where I normally sit have not worked. Nor has the microphone worked, so that it has not been possible to complain about the situation to the President. We have shown great flexibility during the votes and continued with these from the row concerned. Next time, however, many important matters are to be dealt with, including REACH, so we need to ensure that the technology works. Otherwise, the part-session may be interrupted in the most inopportune way. I hope, therefore, that you can resolve this problem by next month.

  President. Unfortunately, this is a recurring problem. We shall be looking into this carefully and trust that it will not happen in the next part-session.

(1) See Minutes.