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In The Press
Phayul
[Thursday,
March 12, 2009 21:27] |
By
Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, March 12: The European Parliament (EP) on Thursday
adopted a resolution on Tibet putting pressure on China
to resume dialogue on "real autonomy for Tibet".
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Hemicycle
(debating chamber) of the European Parliament in
Strasbourg. MEPs meeting in Strasbourg in an assembly
on Thursday adopted a resolution "to mark the
50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against
Chinese rule" and to call on China to resume
constructive dialogue with the Dalai Lama's representatives.
(Photo: Wikipedia)
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The resolution
was adopted by the European Union law makers to "mark
the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against Chinese
rule".
In the resolution, the assembly "urges the Chinese government
to consider the Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy for the
Tibetan people of November 2008 as a basis for substantive
discussion."
"The Memorandum, produced at the request of the Chinese
Government and presented by envoys of the Dalai Lama at
the eighth round of talks in November 2008 in Beijing, respects
the principles underpinning the Chinese Constitution and
the territorial integrity of the People"s Republic
of China, but was rejected by the Chinese Government as
an attempt at 'semi-independence' and 'independence in disguise',"
a press
release by the assembly said.
The resolution, which was adopted by 338 votes to 131 with
14 abstentions, calls on the EU Council Presidency to "adopt
a declaration calling on the Chinese government to open
a constructive dialogue aimed at reaching an overall political
agreement."
In addition, the resolution "condemns all acts of violence,
whether they are the work of demonstrators or disproportionate
repression by the forces of law and order" and calls on
the Chinese Government "to release immediately and unconditionally
all those detained solely for engaging in peaceful protest
and account for all those who have been killed or gone missing".
In the resolution, the MEPs ask the Chinese authorities
"to provide foreign media access to Tibet, including the
Tibetan areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region" and "to
grant UN human rights experts and recognised international
NGOs unimpeded access to Tibet so that they can investigate
the situation there".
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising
against China"s colonial rule over Tibet. The uprising
in Lhasa in March 1959 was was brutally crushed down by
Chinese Communist troops and eventually forced the Dalai
Lama and thousands of Tibetan to flee into exile. China
also undertook a violent military crackdown in Tibet last
year after anti-China unrests broke out across the region.
Addressing the E.U. lawmakers, E.U. External Relations Commissioner
Benita Ferrero-Waldner reportedly expressed "regret that
dialogue had not brought substantive results" between China
and envoys of the Dalai Lama.
She insisted on "the necessity for both parties to resume
the dialogue promptly," adding that it would be the "best
way to avoid frustration and violence among young Tibetans."
Previous EP action on Tibet
The EP press release says: The European Parliament has followed
events in Tibet closely over the years". After the
repression of demonstrations by Tibetans a year ago, the
EP adopted a resolution condemning "all acts of violence
from whichever source". EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering
then announced on 10 July that he would not attend the opening
ceremony of the Olympic Games last August because talks
between China and the Dalai Lama had made no progress. The
Dalai Lama himself addressed the European Parliament on
4 December 2008 as part of Year of Intercultural Dialogue. |
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