Pat Rabbitte
Ceist:135 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the most recent discussions between the EU and China regarding the ongoing mistreatment of Falun Gong practitioners. [10494/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 21 March 2007
Ceisteanna (96, 97)
Brendan Howlin
Ceist:152 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussion he has had on human rights in recent times with the People’s Republic of China. [10520/07]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 152 together.
Questions relating to the treatment of the Falun Gong — including specific cases — are raised regularly, within the context of the wider situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in China, in the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, as well as in our own bilateral contacts with the Government of China.
The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue is the agreed formal framework through which the EU raises human rights issues and concerns with China. The Dialogue, the most recent round of which took place in Beijing on 19 October 2006, has allowed the EU to engage with China on such issues as freedom of expression, the death penalty, the independence of the judiciary and freedom of religion. The EU has used the Dialogue to press its case for Chinese ratification of such international instruments as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and, in that context, reform of the criminal justice system. The EU has also urged China to continue cooperation with, and to implement the recommendations of, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, including in particular the abolition of the "re-education through labour" system. The EU continues to use the Dialogue to raise significant individual human rights cases, including those relating to Falun Gong practitioners.
Cases raised during the Dialogue meeting have been followed up in subsequent contacts with he Chinese authorities. The EU Commissioner for External Relations, Ms Benita Ferrero-Waldner, during her visit to China on 16-18 January 2007, also raised human rights issues, including the real importance we attach to the ongoing Human Rights Dialogue. The next round of the Human Rights Dialogue will take place in Berlin in May.
On a bilateral level, when I met with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on 12 May 2006 during a visit to Beijing, I had the opportunity to raise human rights issues and concerns, including the importance we attach to freedom of speech and freedom of religion. More recently, the Tánaiste held official talks on 25 September 2006 with visiting Chinese Vice-Premier Zeng Peiyan during which he also raised human rights issues and concerns. Discussions in this regard also take place at official level in Dublin and in Beijing.
Question No. 136 answered with QuestionNo. 96.