I am aware from a variety of sources, including reports from Amnesty International, Asia Watch and the European Parliament, of allegations of human rights abuses in Tibet.
Our concerns about human rights in Tibet, and those of our partners in the Community, have been and will continue to be brought to the attention of the Chinese authorities. As recently as 1 March, at the annual session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, the EC Presidency, on behalf of the member states of the Community, expressed the particular concern of the Twelve about the situation in Tibet, including measures which threaten the distinct cultural, religious and ethnic identity of persons belonging to minorities, the persecution of religious believers, and the imprisonment of people for expressing their political beliefts.