11 July 2008
European Parliament resolution on China and Tibet
(ICT) The European Parliament has expressed continuing concerns about human rights abuses in China and Tibet, and adopted a resolution that "deplores the fact that China's human rights record remains a matter for concern owing to widespread and systematic human rights abuses". The Parliament welcomed the resumption of contacts between "the representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities", and calls for an intensification of these contacts. MEPs also condemned the fact that "participants in the protest in Lhasa [are] still being traced, detained and arbitrarily arrested". They also called on Beijing to end its 'patriotic re-education' campaign, and allow free media access to Tibet. The President of the Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, announced that he would not be attending the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing, due to the lack of progress in talks between Beijing and Dharamsala.