AFP: EU to Voice Concern Over China at UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva

BRUSSELS, Mar 19, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) The European Union will express concern over "serious" rights violations in China at the 57^th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva this week, EU foreign ministers said here Monday.

They said in a resolution that the EU delegation would also urge China to "take further steps to improve the situation on the ground," including ratification of international rights conventions and enactment of necessary national legislation.

The ministers said they "remained concerned about the lack of respect for fundamental freedoms in China," including those of "expression, religion and association," and "the ongoing violations of human rights of pro-democracy activists."

Their resolution also referred to what it termed China's violations of the rights of "proponents of free trade unions and followers of other movements such as the Falun Gong, as well as the frequent use of the death penalty."

Noting that the U.S. would be tabling a China rights resolution at the Geneva conclave, the ministers said the EU would vote for it, but not co-sponsor it. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)

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