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http://www.phayul.com EU expresses concern over Tibet’s deteriorating situation
DHARAMSHALA, June 13: European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Lady Catherine Ashton said that the EU is concerned over the deteriorating human rights situation inside Tibet. “The European Union is concerned by the deterioration of the situation in Tibet, as illustrated by the wave of self-immolations and clashes between the Chinese police and local Tibetans since the beginning of the year,” Ashton said in a speech on the situation in Tibet yesterday. “In recent days, the EU has been particularly concerned by the news of mass arrests and detentions taking place in the Tibetan Autonomous Region following self-immolations in Lhasa, as well as at reports that the TAR has been closed to foreigners,” Ashton said. 38 Tibetans inside Tibet have set themselves on fire since 2009 demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from exile and freedom in Tibet. The EU noted that “increasing restrictions on religious activities” seem to have given rise to a "surge of frustration and new protests" among Tibetans. In her speech, Ashton said that the EU is “most concerned” about the impact of the resettlement policy of Tibetan nomads, expressing fear that the policy has the “potential to destroy the distinctive Tibetan culture and identity.” According to a Xinhua article published in January 2011, since the policy’s implementation, 1.43 million Tibetan nomads and farmers have been moved into new or fixed settlement homes while another 185,500 families are expected to be moved by 2013. The United Nations called on China to suspend the forced resettlement of Tibetan nomadic herders in a report presented at the UN Human Rights Council in March earlier this year. Ashton noted that EU had raised concerns over language and religious rights of the Tibetan people with the People’s Republic of China at the recently concluded EU-China Human Rights Dialogue on May 29 in Brussels. “The EU calls upon the Chinese authorities to ensure that the 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 practise their own religion and to use their own language,” Ashton said in her speech. The EU High Representative also urged the Chinese government to resume the stalled dialogue process with the Tibetan representatives. “Following the last meeting between the Chinese authorities and the Envoys of the Dalai Lama in early 2010, the EU strongly supports the restart of the dialogue between all parties in order to contribute to a durable solution,” Ashton said “The EU believes that this dialogue can contribute to the improvement of the human rights situation of the Tibetan people.” The EU High Representative’s speech is expected to influence voting tomorrow on a new Tibet resolution in the European Parliament which condemns Chinese authorities’ for their “continued crackdown” in Tibet.
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