RTTNews: The European Union has called upon the Chinese
authorities to ensure that human rights of the Tibetan people are
respected, including their right to freedom of expression and freedom of
assembly, as well as to enjoy their own culture to practice their own
religion and to use their own language.
The call was made by EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton while addressing the European Parliament on Tuesday.
The EU also urged the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint and
to allow access by foreign diplomats and journalists to all Tibetan
autonomous areas.
Following the last meeting between the Chinese authorities and the
envoys of the Dalai Lama in early 2010, the EU strongly supported
resumption of dialogue between all parties in order to contribute to a
durable solution.
The EU believes that this dialogue can contribute to improvement of
the human rights situation of the Tibetan people, Ashton said.
The High Representative said European Union was concerned by the
deterioration of the situation in Tibet, as illustrated by the wave of
self-immolations and by clashes between the police and the local
population since the beginning of the year.
In recent days, the EU has been particularly concerned by the news
of mass arrests and detentions taking place in the Tibetan Autonomous
Region (TAR) following self-immolations in Lhasa, as well as at reports
that the TAR has been closed to foreigners.
Some 37 self-immolations of Tibetans have occurred in China since
2011. The incidents have been concentrated in Sichuan province but have
also taken place in other Tibetan-populated areas where increasing
restrictions on religious activities seem to have given rise to a surge
of frustration and new protests among Tibetans.
Over the last three years, an increasing number of Tibetan
intellectuals and cultural figures have faced criminal charges or been
imprisoned. Ashton told the MEPs that EU was worried about restrictions
on expressions of Tibetan identity and freedom of expression in Tibet.
The EU has taken note that the five-year plans adopted by the
Chinese authorities in January and March 2011 include an expansion of
hydropower, railways, mining and tourism across the Tibetan plateau. The
EU welcomed China’s wish to raise the living standards of the Tibetan
population.
However, there are reports of growing discontent among Tibetans
regarding local development policies and of protests against mining and
hydro-electric projects. The EU supports the wish of the Chinese
authorities to better protect the environment in China.
Nevertheless, it is most concerned about the impact of the
resettlement policy of Tibetan nomads. Tibetan culture and traditional
lifestyles are based on a nomadic way of life. While taking note of the
Chinese authorities’ commitment that the resettlement of nomads is
intended to preserve the Tibetan grasslands, the EU questions whether
the objective of environmental protection can only be reached by
eliminating the traditional way of life of Tibetans who have lived in
harmony with nature for centuries. The EU is concerned that compulsory
resettlement of all nomads has the potential to destroy the distinctive
Tibetan culture and identity.
Ashton said that the EU is also worried by the impact of the policy
to make Mandarin Chinese the primary language of instruction in Tibetan
schools, as in schools in other minority-populated areas. Several
hundreds of students protested against the reform of the education
system to promote education in Chinese rather than in Tibetan in Qinghai
province.
The EU is also concerned about the intensification of restrictions
on religious activities in Tibet, including quotas of monks and nuns who
may reside at a monastery and measures limiting their travel between
different areas.
Ashton recalled that all these issues were raised at the EU-China human rights dialogue on May 29.
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