Situation in Tibet, the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising and the negotiations between the People's Republic of China and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Tabled by Monica Frassoni, Hélène Flautre, Eva Lichtenberger, Milan Horá?ek, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Mikel Irujo Amezaga and Helga Trüpel

on behalf of the Greens/EFA Group

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on China and Tibet, in particular those of 10 April and 10 July 2009,

– having regard the statement made by the Dalai Lama to the European Parliament on 4 December 2008,

– having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.whereas March 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's flight from Tibet and the beginning of his exile in India,

B.whereas eight rounds of dialogue between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and representatives of the Chinese Government have produced no breakthrough and no further talks are planned,

C.whereas the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People, produced at the request of the Chinese Government and presented by envoys of the Dalai Lama at the eighth round of talks in November 2008 in Beijing, respects the principles underpinning the Chinese Constitution and the territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China, but was rejected by the Chinese Government as an attempt at 'semi-independence' and 'independence in disguise',

D.whereas over the last few days the Chinese authorities have tightened security in Tibet, with journalists and foreigners being banned from visiting the region and permits already issued to foreigners cancelled,

1. Urges the Chinese Government to resume the talks with the representatives of the Dalai Lama and to consider the Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People of November 2008 as a basis for substantive discussion leading towards positive, meaningful change in Tibet consistent with the principles outlined in the Constitution and laws of the People's Republic of China;

2. Calls on the Council to set up a 'Truth Committee' to ascertain what exactly happened during the negotiations between the People's Republic of China and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama;

3. Calls on the Council Presidency, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the exile of the Dalai Lama to India, to adopt a declaration urging the Chinese Government to start meaningful and result-oriented negotiations without preconditions with the Dalai Lama and his envoys and to include a reference to the Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People;

4. Urges the Chinese authorities to grant UN human rights experts and other independent observers unimpeded access to Tibet so that they can investigate the situation there;

5. Calls on the Chinese Government to release immediately and unconditionally all those detained solely for engaging in peaceful protest and account for all those who have been killed or gone missing and all those detained, indicating their names, their whereabouts and the charges against them;

6. Asks the Chinese authorities to provide unrestricted foreign media access to Tibet, including the Tibetan areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, and to abolish the special permits required for access to the Tibet Autonomous Region;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the President, Government and Parliament of the People's Republic of China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.