§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on(a) the most recent talks between the EU and Chinese regarding Tibet and (b) the situation of Chadrel Rinpoche, Gedun Choekyi, Ngawang Sangdrol, Ngawang Choephel and the anniversary monks. [8310]
§ Mr. MacShaneThe information is as follows:
- (a) The EU raised our concerns about Tibet at the EU-China summit on 5 September. The EU-China Human Rights Dialogue on 25–26 October will provide another opportunity to discuss these concerns in detail.
- (b) We regularly raise our concerns about political prisoners in Tibet. Chadrel Rinpoche, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, Ngawang Sangdrol and Ngawang Cheophel were among the individual cases raised at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 12–14 February. The Chinese gave the following information:
Chadrel Rinpoche was in good health and allowed to study (i.e. watch TV and read newspapers). He was not held in solitary confinement, sharing his room with one other inmate. He was not required to carry out hard labour. We were told Chadrel was due for release on 9 January 2002.Ngawang Sangdrol was in good health, studies in her spare time and engages in weaving as a hobby. Her release date was 2013, her sentence having been extended three times for engaging in protests.Ngawang Choephel was in good health physically and mentally.In response to our call for independent access to Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Chinese said that his parents wished to preserve his privacy. We continue t press the Chinese for reassurance that Gedhun Choekyi is alive and well, and for independent access to him.We have no news of the two monks (Phuntsok Legmon and Namdrol) who were sentenced in July 1999 for protesting on 10 March 1999 in Lhasa.