Geen investeringsovereenkomst EU-China zolang mensenrechtenschendingen door gaan
Er mag geen investeringsovereenkomst tussen de EU en China komen, zolang China de mensenrechten blijft schenden. Die oproep doe ik in een gezamenlijke brandbrief aan de Europese Commissie, de Europese Raad, bondskanselier Merkel van Duitsland en president Macron van Frankrijk.
Ik ben ongerust over onder andere de snel verslechterende situatie in met name de Oeigoerse autonome regio Xinjiang in China, en met mij tientallen collega-Europarlementariërs. Miljoenen zitten onterecht in interneringskampen, Oeigoerse vrouwen worden massaal gesteriliseerd en er worden pogingen gedaan om het aantal geboorten te verminderen. Daarnaast staat de godsdienstvrijheid stevig onder druk en vindt er ernstige religieuze vervolging plaats. Dat kan zo niet doorgaan.
Daarnaast zijn er tal van andere misstanden in China. Gezien de omvang en de ernst van de situatie, is er dringende en krachtige reactie van de Europese Unie noodzakelijk. Ondanks eerder gemaakte afspraken door de Chinese regering, is de mensenrechtensituatie in China alleen maar verder verslechterd.
China moet de mensenrechten respecteren en onmiddellijk stoppen met zijn voortdurende wreedheden. Ieder mens moet zijn of haar geloof in vrijheid kunnen belijden. Samen met collega- Europarlementariërs roepen we daarom op om het onderwerp mensenrechten bovenaan de agenda te plaatsen van de EU-China Top van volgende week en om dat ook in toekomstige discussies te doen.
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Lees hieronder onze brief:
To the President of the European Council
To the President of the European Commission
To the Chancellor of Germany (German Presidency of the Council of the EU)
Mr. Charles Michel
Ms. Ursula von der Leyen
Ms. Angela Merkel Brussels,
11 September 2020
Subject: The EU must meaningfully address China’s Human Rights atrocities at the EU-China Summit and take strong action
Dear President Michel,
Dear President Von der Leyen,
Dear Chancellor Merkel,
We, Members of the European Parliament, are addressing you to express our deep concern about the widespread, serious and ongoing human rights violations occurring in the People’s Republic of China. We call for this issue to be substantively addressed during the upcoming EU-China Summit on September 14th.
We have been greatly alarmed by the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China in particular. Over the past three years, there have been credible allegations of mass arbitrary detention of millions of Uyghurs in internment camps, mass sterilization of Uyghur women and efforts to diminish Uyghur births, widespread destruction of mosques, shrines graveyards and other physical manifestations of Uyghur culture, history and identity, efforts to suppress Uyghur language, forced labour and modern slavery, serious religious persecution, separation of children from families and other human rights violations. The scope and gravity of the situation necessitate an urgent and robust response from the European Union.
We would also like to draw your attention to serious human rights violations against Tibetans, the impact of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and the deprivation of language rights for ethnic Mongolians in Inner Mongolia, as well as the general crackdown on Chinese democracy, activists and lawyers. Current efforts to address this crisis have not resulted in any meaningful change in behaviour from the Chinese government. Despite numerous requests for a UN-led independent mission to visit the region and investigate crimes, it has still not been permitted.
The Chinese government has officially committed to the universality and indivisibility of human rights in previous discussions with EU representatives, but has consistently failed to meet these obligations. In fact, the human rights situation in China has only deteriorated further.
The upcoming EU-China Summit represents an ideal opportunity to match the EU’s rhetoric regarding human rights violations in China with concrete action. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must use this opportunity to reassess our relations and insist on not conducting business as usual with a government committing atrocities and crimes against humanity. Oral pressures and mere diplomatic discussions will not prove sufficient. As stated in successive European Parliament’s resolutions in March 2019 and more recently in June 2020, we reiterate our call for targeted sanctions and assets freezes against Chinese officials responsible for policies violating human rights.
Now is the time to take brave and principled decisions and to stand up for the values we hold dear. We call on EU leaders to ensure that there will be consequences if the Chinese government continues to flaunt its human rights obligations. We call for the EU to put human rights at the top of the agenda at the EU-China Summit and in future discussions.
We further urge you to ensure that discussions on the EU-China Investment Agreement to be fully conditional on China respecting its human rights obligations and immediately ceasing its ongoing atrocities.
Yours sincerely
