Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-01-29-Speech-3-099"
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"en.20030129.4.3-099"2
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"Mr President, although Member State governments have strongly criticised human rights abuses, regrettably they adopt a different approach in relation to larger countries like China and Pakistan, where there are huge trading and geopolitical interests at stake. Our inconsistency is a form of political prostitution and undermines our moral authority in this field.
I welcome this joint resolution and, as mentioned in paragraph 16, the EU Presidency should support further resolutions on a number of countries. I would like to refer to three in particular. With regard to China, the strike hard campaign continues to be extremely worrying, having dramatically increased the number of executions in China, often carried out in reliance on insufficient evidence in summary trials. Severe restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of information persist. Pro-democracy campaigners and political activists are often detained without charge and, in some cases, charged with inciting subversion. It is essential that the Presidency make human rights a core part of all dialogue with China.
In the Middle East, I condemn the way in which human rights are abused because of the use of terrorism, especially suicide bombings carried out by Palestinian extremists. But I also condemn the state terrorism inflicted on the ordinary people of Palestine by Israel.
With regard to Iran, EU leaders had expressed the hope that engaging Iran in political dialogue would strengthen reformist elements and improve human rights. Sadly, stoning seems to have been only stopped temporarily, for reasons of image. Numerous newspapers are being closed down daily and unfortunately the number of executions has increased significantly.
The protection and promotion of human rights is one of the fundamental principles of the EU. It is imperative for the EU to show consistency in its stance on human rights on the global stage and particular at Geneva; otherwise, no one will take us seriously."@en1
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