EU Parliament berates China for human rights violations

Strasbourg, France - The Chinese dissident who has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for "subversion" should be released "immediately and unconditionally," the European Parliament said in a resolution on Thursday that berates China for human rights violations. Liu Xiabao, 54, was sentenced on Christmas day, drawing strong condemnation from the United Nations, European and the United States' governments. He was detained in December 2008, shortly before the release of Charter '08 for democratic reform in China, which he co-organized.

In the charter, 303 leading dissidents, activists and writers set out their ideals for transforming China into a liberal democracy and lamented a lack of "freedom, equality and human rights" under the ruling Communist Party.

Members of parliament (MEPs) expressed "serious concern" for China's human rights record and asked for the issue to be "an integral part of the new framework agreement currently being negotiated" with the country, a press release explained.

The assembly specifically called on EU leaders to raise Xiabao's case at the next summit with Chinese officials, scheduled for March 15 in Madrid.

MEPs equally condemned the execution of Akmal Shaikh, a British citizen of Pakistani origin accused of drug smuggling. He was sentenced on December 29, sparking a diplomatic tussle between Beijing and London.

The Chinese government ignored a total of 27 pleas by British officials, who together with human rights campaigners, argued that Shaikh, 53, had mental health problems.

Deputies also applauded Google's "intention to halt cooperation on internet filtering and censorship with the Chinese authorities," and urged "all companies to act likewise."

The EU's parliament, whose resolutions are non-binding, often speaks in defense of human rights around the world.

In two separate resolutions approved on Thursday, MEPs condemned recent attacks against Christian minorities in Egypt and Malaysia, and called for "an independent and comprehensive police investigation" on the November 23 Maguindanao massacre in the Philippines, where 57 people were tortured and murdered by a local militia.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/305046,eu-parliament-berates-china-for-human-rights-violations.html.