[lg policy] Human rights: Burma, Iraq, Tibet: European Parliament urges Chinese authorities to support a genuine bilingual language policy in Tibet.

[Harold Schiffman]

Human rights: Burma, Iraq, Tibet
Human rights - 25-11-2010 - 16:49


In three resolutions adopted in Strasbourg on Thursday, the European
Parliament welcomes the recent release of Burmese opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi, strongly condemns the recent attacks on Christian
communities in Iraq and urges the Chinese authorities to support a
genuine bilingual language policy in Tibet.

Burma


MEPs welcome the recent release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San
Suu Kyi but are concerned about her safety and insist that her freshly
regained freedom must be unconditioned and unrestricted. They urge the
Burmese regime to engage in discussions with her and with
representatives of the minority peoples.


In a plenary resolution passed on Thursday, MEPs call on the EU and
its Member States "to employ its full economic and political influence
in order to bring about freedom and democracy in Burma" and urge them
to continue to provide funding for refugees on the Thai-Burma border.
They also welcome the decision to send a Parliamentary delegation to
Burma to hand Aung San Suu Kyi the Sakharov Prize she won in 1990,
should she be unable to attend the official Sakharov ceremony in
Strasbourg in December.


Regarding the 7 November elections in Burma, MEPs say they were
conducted in a climate of fear, intimidation and resignation, with
hundreds of thousands of Burmese citizens, monks and political
prisoners being banned from voting. Up to 2200 political prisoners
should be immediately released without any pre-condition, stress MEPs.
They also call on ASEAN members, China, India and Russia (Burma's main
trading partners) to stop supporting the regime and exert pressure to
bring positive change to the country. Censorship of the press and
political control of the internet and mobile phone network are other
serious sources of concern to Parliament.


Iraq


In a resolution on Iraq, Parliament reiterates its long-standing
opposition to the death penalty and urges the Iraqi authorities not to
carry out the death sentences on Iraq's former deputy premier Tariq
Aziz, aged 74, former Interior Minister Sadoun Shakir and Abed Hamoud,
former Private Secretary to Saddam Hussein. They welcome the
announcement by Iraq's president Jalal Talabani that he will not sign
the execution orders.


Condemning the recent attacks on Christian communities in Iraq,
Parliament calls on EU High representative Catherine Ashton to treat
the problem of the safety of Christians within Iraqi borders as a
priority and urges the Iraqi authorities to "drastically increase
their efforts for the protection of Christian and vulnerable
communities". MEPs also call on the European Union to strengthen the
fight against terrorism.


Tibet


In a resolution on Tibet, MEPs urge the Chinese authorities to support
a genuine bilingual language policy, in which all subjects can be
taught in the Tibetan language. They condemn the "increased crackdown
on the exercise of cultural, linguistic, religious and other
fundamental freedoms" of the six million Tibetan people as well as the
Chinese authorities' plan to make Chinese the main language of
instruction in Tibet.  Parliament deplores the often discriminatory
treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in China and asks the
European Commission to report on the use made by China of the EURO 1
million fund requested in 2009 to support Tibetan civil society.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20101125IPR00560

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal,
and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message.
 A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman,
Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list