20.04.2005

After the adoption of the Taiwan Law on Secession in Peking, the EU must motion its intentions to prevent a military strike against Taiwan

At the beginning of the UN Human Rights Commission’s Annual Conference in Geneva (14.03-22.04.2005):

On the opening day of the 61st Human Rights Commission of the United Nations in Geneva, the Society for Threatened Peoples (SftP) is sharply criticizing that Europe remains silent about the human rights violations in China and about China’s threats to Taiwan. "If China is now threatening Taiwan with a law to wage war, it is time for the European Union to finally become active,” Ulrich Delius, the specialist for Asia at the SftP, calls for. "The European Union may no longer out of pure opportunism refuse to bring in or to support a resolution critical of China at the UN Human Rights Commission’s annual conference. If the EU omits to send a clear signal to Peking, the Chinese leadership will feel encouraged to pursue its human rights violations and to launch a military strike against Taiwan.” To remain silent even under these circumstances is irresponsible and puts at risk the security and stability of Eastern Asia.

 

"The inactivity of the EU is alienating, since there are no other states that execute more people, detain them in labour camps, or systematically forbid the exercise of the freedom of belief, opinion, and assembly,” says Delius. Whoever does not speak about China at the UN Human Rights Commission out of political considerateness thereby becomes untrustworthy and does a disservice to the promotion of human rights.

 

This year, the SftP submits 15 written statements to the UN Human Rights Commission:

 

  • Australia’s Aboriginal people victims of racism
  • Hassled Christians in Iraq
  • Torture and arbitrary detainment of Oromo in Ethiopia
  • Impunity of those responsible for severe human rights violations in Darfur/Sudan and Srebrenica/Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Ecological devastation threatens the indigenous peoples in Siberia/Russian Federation
  • Economic and social rights of Tibetans in the People Republic of China
  • Oil drilling threatens minorities in Nigeria
  • Poor conditions of Roma women in South-eastern Europe
  • Turkey refuses to allow reconstruction of the villages of returning Kurdish refugees
  • The EU’s refugees politics violates human rights
  • Intended oil drilling in Northern Alaska threatens survival of indigenous peoples
  • Human Rights defenders in Brazil and Syria are threatened
  • Children in Northern Uganda suffer from a civil war and severe human rights violations
  • No peace in Western Sahara and Cabinda/Angola
  • Disappearance of civilians in Chechnya/Russian Federation

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