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Tibet Campaigners are deeply disappointed at the UK Foreign
Secretary, Jack Straw's comments today to a House of Commons committee scrutinising
arms control, that to "lump" China with Burma and Zimbabwe was "not
appropriate" in the maintenance of an EU arms embargo. This comment signals
the beginning of the end for the 15 year arms embargo on China, particularly
as the UK was one of the EU countries which previously had had reservations.
The EU Luxembourg Presidency also gave notice that it was committed to lifting
the embargo with a senior official quoted as saying that "We have an
obligation to find a solution by the end of the presidency."
"China's human rights record remains appalling. The decision,
in all likelihood, to lift the embargo is a gift for China's new leadership,
but a slap in the face for Tibetans and all those China oppresses" said
Anne Callaghan of Free Tibet Campaign. "In recent years China has been
awarded many of the attributes of membership of the international club of nations,
whilst relinquishing very little in return. In six months, the EU Arms embargo
may be lifted because China does not want to be treated as a human rights pariah
similar to Burma and Zimbabwe (current EU arms embargoes ). Where is China's
incentive to end the occupation of Tibet, or decriminalise supporters of democracy
now?" she asked.
The embargo was imposed in the aftermath of Tiananmen Square
in 1989. At the EU China summit at the Hague on December 8 2004, the EU maintained
the embargo following a concerted campaign by human rights groups and the US
government. However, the outgoing Dutch EU Presidency gave notice that this
decision would be re-examined in the course of the Luxembourg Presidency to
allow for a tightening of the EU 'Code of Conduct on arms exports'.
Earlier in 2003, Javier Solana suggested that China's new leadership
did not wish to be linked "to events that took place a long time ago in
relation to Tiananmen." (EU Business, 26 January 2004.) Free Tibet Campaign
finds the comments from the UK and Luxembourg governments of the odds-on certainty
of the embargo being lifted as impossible to justify given the new Chinese leadership's
refusal last year to review the events of June 1989. The Chinese authorities
have made no effort to prevent the detention and harassment of its critics and
relatives of those massacred.
The embargo had been under severe pressure since China's publication
of its first EU Strategy Paper in October 2003, which called for an early end
to the embargo. France and Germany were amongst China's strongest advocates
within the EU. Although the United States was firmly opposed to the EU ending
the embargo it appears the Europeans believe they may be able to do enough to
satisfy American concerns over fueling an arms race and endangering Taiwan.
The EU has argued that its existing 'Code of Conduct' will
prevent the sale of arms to China that could be used against its own citizens.
However a coalition of 55 NGOs, including Amnesty International and Saferworld
recently published evidence that the EU was helping to sell armoured vehicle
parts to China and Burma.
Source: Phayul
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