European Parliament Press Release on Tibet

By The European Parliament
October 26, 2006

In the resolution on Tibet, adopted by 66 votes to 0 with 0 abstentions, Parliament condemns the events of 20 September this year, when more than 70 unarmed Tibetan civilians were fired upon by the Chinese police, killing at least one person.

The Tibetans were attempting to cross the Nangpa Pass in the Himalayan region of Tibet, to seek refugee status in Nepal. The Chinese People’s Armed Police fired upon the Tibetans, who included women and children. Video and photographic evidence shows that the group was moving slowly away from the Chinese forces firing upon them and did not represent a threat. A seventeen-year-old nun was killed and there are unconfirmed eyewitness accounts of other deaths. A group of Tibetans, including children, were arrested after continuing to flee.

The Chinese authorities have thus far not officially recognised that the incident at Nangpa Pass took place or that any individual was killed by Chinese forces.

In its resolution, Parliament "condemns the excessive use of force by the Chinese People’s Armed Police in firing upon unarmed Tibetan civilians, including children". It "strongly condemns the killing of an unarmed civilian who, being under 18 years of age, was also considered a child under international law" and "expresses its dismay at the imprisonment of Tibetan civilians, nine of whom are children".

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