Press Release

26/11/2009

EU defends human rights in Laos, Vietnam and Tibet. Thomas Mann

Human rights situation still inadequate

The European Parliament demanded today that the European Commission provides reliable information about the human rights violations in Laos and Vietnam: "We have to know which of the agreements with these countries were observed in the field of human rights and democracy", emphasised Thomas Mann MEP, Vice-Chairman of the EP Delegation for South Asia. "Hundreds of monks of the Bat Nha monastery were attacked without any kind of help or defence by police forces. Monks who fled into the Phuoc Hue temple were terribly mistreated."

The European Parliament also debated today minority rights and the application of the death penalty in China. "The Chinese authorities responded to the Tibetan protests in March 2008 with a security crackdown across the Tibetan plateau that included the death of over 200 Tibetans and the documented detention of 735 Tibetans for exercising rights such as freedom of speech, religion, assembly and association. The EP stressed its strong condemnation of the execution of the Tibetans Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak on 20 October 2009 regarding the March protests 2008 and on charges relating to 'starting fatal fires' despite the fact that the Presidency of the European Union and the Tibet Intergroup of the European Parliament called on 8 May 2009 for a commutation of the death sentences to several Tibetans. We underlined today our concerns that a fair trial may not have been granted to them", emphasised Mann, who is the Chairman of the Tibet Intergroup of the EP.

"We also called for the re-opening of sincere and result-oriented dialogue between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama representatives based on the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People leading towards a positive, substantial and meaningful change in Tibet, consistent with the principles outlined in the Constitution and laws of the People's Republic of China", said Mann.

"Both topics have to be priority points on the agenda of the EU-China Dialogue, starting on 30 November in Nanjing", concluded Thomas Mann.

For further informations:
Office of Thomas Mann MEP, Tel: +32-2-2847318
Stella Mancini, EPP Group Press Service, Tel: +32-473-866138

Notes to Editors:
The EPP Group is by far the largest political group in the European Parliament with 265 Members.