EU resolutions on Tibet

European Parliament (Strasbourg)

14 October 1989

A resolution was passed urging the Chinese Government to respect the rights of the Tibetan people to religious and cultural freedom, and suggesting that the Dalai Lama's Five-Point Peace Plan could provide the basis for a settlement of the Tibetan issue.

15 March 1989

A resolution was passed deploring the loss of life in recent disturbances in Lhasa, condemning the subsequent violent repression, and calling for the lifting of martial law. The European Parliament urged the Chinese Government to hold discussions with the Dalai Lama on the future of Tibet, and called on Beijing to respect the autonomous status of Tibet as defined within the framework of the Chinese Constitution.

April 1990

The Sub-Committee for Human Rights of the Political Affairs Committee of the European Parliament held a hearing on Tibet which was addressed by the Dalai Lama. At a meeting following the hearing, the decision was made to appoint a Special Rapporteur.

July 1991

A Resolution from the Political Affairs Committee condemned human rights violations in Tibet and called for the release of political prisoners, an end to torture, executions and intimidation, the cessation of environmental degradation, an immediate reversal of the policy of population transfer, an end to discrimination against Tibetans in health and education, and constructive dialogue between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government.

February 1992

A resolution was passed calling for the release of those people detained for practising religion or peacefully advocating the establishment of democratic rights, and expressing concern at prison conditions.

September 1992

A resolution was passed calling for the release of all those imprisoned for practising their religious faith, and for an end to forced abortion. It also expressed concern for the conditions in which prisoners are held, in particular the paucity of medical treatment.

16 November 1992

A resolution was passed calling for the immediate release of all Tibetan political prisoners. The Chinese Government was also urged to allow the Red Cross to visit prisons and communicate with prisoners.

15 December 1992

A resolution was passed condemning human rights violations in Tibet, and demanding the release of all political prisoners. It called for an immediate end to environmental degradation, economic exploitation, discrimination against Tibetans, and Chinese immigration into Tibet. The European Parliament expressed regret that the Dalai Lama's efforts to bring about negotiations had come to nothing, and urged the resumption of talks between the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and Beijing. A request was made that the granting of aid to China be conditional on the observance of human rights and freedoms, and that EC-funded projects in Tibet should serve the needs of the Tibetan community.

24 June 1993

A resolution was passed deploring the brutal suppression of recent demonstrations in Lhasa, and calling for the immediate release of all prisoners not charged with an internationally recognised crime (these included Gendun Rinchen, Lobsang Yonten and Damchoe Pemo). The European Parliament regretted that the Dalai Lama's planned address to the UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna was cancelled after Chinese pressure.

16 September 1993

A resolution was passed calling on the Chinese authorities to release all those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression. The European Parliament declared its support for the "courageous activities" of Gendun Rinchen, and suggested that the Olympic Games should not be held in Beijing in the year 2000 unless progress were made in ensuring respect for human rights.

28 October 1993

On the eve of sending a delegation to Beijing, the European Parliament passed a resolution declaring that its relations with China would only be normalised if Beijing provided information about political prisoners in China and Tibet.

17 May 1995

A resolution was passed calling upon the Commission to recognise that the Panam County Integrated Rural Development Project had been proposed by the People's Republic of China as part of a scheme to feed Chinese settlers and was therefore contrary to the interests of the Tibetan people, to redeploy resources from the Panam Project to aid which would better serve the Tibetan people, to ensure that any future proposals relating to Tibet are subject to a full and open consultation process, and to make the granting of aid to China conditional on improvements in human rights. It urged the PRC to enter into discussions on the future of Tibet with the Tibetan government in exile, to release all prisoners of conscience, to ensure that all detainees are protected from torture, to acknowledge its responsibility to ensure that the Fourth World Conference for Women allows proper facilities for the NGO Forum and access to women from Tibet, Taiwan, and elsewhere, and to abandon policy and legislation which promotes coercive birth control practices.

13 July 1995

A resolution was passed expressing concern at the abduction of Gendun Choekyi Nyima and reaffirming the illegal nature of the Chinese occupation. The resolution called on the Chinese authorities to ensure that Gendun Choekyi Nyima and his family be immediately released and to put an end to violations of human rights, and expressed support for the Dalai Lama¹s efforts to restore the cultural and religious freedom and political autonomy of the Tibetan people.

14 December 1995

A resolution was passed condemning China's intervention in the nomination of a candidate for the title of Panchen Lama, and urging the Chinese authorities to respect the wishes of the Tibetan people by accepting Gendun Choekyi Nyima as the true Panchen Lama. It requested that European Union delegates be allowed to visit Gendun Choekyi Nyima, his family and Chadrel Rinpoche to ensure they are safe, and called upon the Chinese authorities to accord full freedom of worship to Tibetan monks. It called on representatives of the Council and Commission to exert strong pressure on the Chinese authorities to cease their unacceptable treatment of the Tibetan people, and stated the belief that the final decision to proceed with the Panam Project should not be taken until such time as these requests be met.

18 April 1996

A resolution called on the member states of the European Union to use all diplomatic means available to them to ensure that a resolution on the human rights situation in China and Tibet be approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights.

European Community

4 March 1992

Member States of the EC submitted a Resolution to the UN Commission on Human Rights voicing their grave concern at continuing reports of human rights violations in Tibet, and calling on the Chinese Government to take measures to ensure the full observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Tibetan people.

16-23 May 1993

A delegation of ambassadors from EC Member States visiting Tibet requested information about Gendun Rinchen and Lobsang Yonten, who had been arrested for trying to contact them, and asked to see them in prison. After its week-long visit, the delegation issued a joint declaration which stated that harmonious relations between Tibetans and Chinese living in Tibet were non-existent; that the Chinese presence was supported by large military and security forces; that official figures claiming just 3% of the population of Tibet were ethnic Chinese were understated; that increased economic activity had brought more benefit to Chinese newcomers than to Tibetans; that the use of Chinese in official documents was a barrier to the advancement of Tibetans; that schooling in Tibetan was not always available, and that there was a large rate of non-attendance among Tibetans; and that although religious activity was not suppressed and the renovation of religious sites was very much in evidence, there were considerable doubts as to whether religion received the freedom of action and funding at an organisational level needed to achieve its full potential as a fundamental part of the Tibetan culture.

Note: Damchoe Pemo was released in November 1993; Gendun Rinchen and Lobsang Yonten were both released in January 1994