What changed

B100248/2025

B100251/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Violationsthe violations of Religious Freedom in Tibet

(2025/2692(RSP))

–- having regardregards to its previous resolutionsresolution on the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Tibet,(PRC);

–- having regard to articleRules 18136(2) ofand the(4) Universalof Declarationits ofRules Humanof Rights,Procedure,

– having regard to Articles 4 and 36 of the PRC Constitution,

A. Whereas Article 36 of the PRC Constitution states that citizens “enjoy freedom of religious belief” and explicitly prohibits any discriminating against citizens on the basis of their religious beliefs; whereas Article 11 of the Law on Regional National Autonomy provides that “the State shall protect normal religious activities,” and Article 3 of Measures for the Management of Religious Professionals reaffirms the “nation's principle of religious independence and self-management”;

– having regard to Rules 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

B. Whereas the Regulations on Religious Affairs restrict contact with overseas religious institutions and travel abroad, limit the amount of donations, and mandate that the religious publications comply with guidelines of the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department;

A. whereas under the leadership of Xi Jinping, the Chinese Government has become increasingly more oppressive of religious minorities, for example by pursuing a policy of sinicization and assimilation of Tibetan Buddhism; whereas religious freedom conditions in China are among the worst in the world; whereas the UN indicated that there is prominent and credible evidence of China committing serious human rights violations against the Uyghur community which may amount to crimes against humanity;

C. Whereas the Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy require religious groups to “strengthen political education” and clergy to pledge allegiance to the CCP and “persist in the direction of the Sinicization of the country’s religions”;

B. whereas Tibetan Buddhists are systematically targeted by Chinese authorities; whereas Tibetan religious leader Humkar Dorje Rinpoche died allegedly while in custody in Vietnam following concerted actions with China’s Ministry of State Security on 29 March 2025; whereas the 11th Panchen Lama was abducted in 1995 and held captive ever since; whereas Tibetan children are forcibly enrolled in boarding schools aiming to erase their Tibetan identity; whereas the Tibetan population are under systematic surveillance through mandatory apps;

D. Whereas the Measures for the Administration of Tibetan Buddhist Temples of 1 December 2024 further tightened state control over Tibetan Buddhism;

C. whereas the degradation of the human rights situation in China has put a strain on the relation with the EU and decisively contributed to making the rivalry dimension of the relation more prominent;

E. Whereas the CCP’s United Front Work Department exercises direct control over all aspects of Tibetan Buddhism, including the recognition of lamas, the management of religious venues, organizations, personnel, and educational institutions; whereas the PRC government claims ultimate authority over the appointment of the next Dalai Lama;

1. Strongly condemns the repression of religious minorities and the violation of universal human rights in Tibet by the PRC;

F. Whereas since 1994 PRC authorities have reportedly carried out widespread “patriotic re-education” in Tibetan Buddhist communities, restricted religious practices, destroyed sites and symbols, persecuted clergy, and detained individuals for honouring the Dalai Lama;

2. Urges the PRC to immediately end its oppressive assimilation policy and restriction of freedom of religion in Tibet and against other minorities;

G. Whereas Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, then six years old, disappeared along with his parents from their village in Tibet on 17 May 1995, just three days after being recognized by the Dalai Lama as the eleventh reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, and his whereabouts remain unknown;

3. Calls for an independent investigation into the death of Humkar Dorje Rinpoche and for the immediate release of the Panchem Lama; urges the EU to address PRC’s repression against diaspora groups and the Member States to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC;

H. Whereas these violations of religious freedom and efforts to “Sinicize” faiths reflect broader discriminatory policies against ethnic minorities, consistent with similar repression in other regions, notably against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang;

4. Reiterates its call on the PRC to reengage with the representatives of the 14th Dalai Lama with a view to establishing genuine autonomy for Tibetans within China;

1. Condemns all forms of religious persecution in Tibet and across the PRC, including forced indoctrination and discrimination based on religion or belief;

5. Demands that the EU impose sanctions on officials and entities responsible for human rights violations in Tibet; stresses that since the introduction of sanctions for the human rights violations in Xinjiang in 2021 the situation has not improved and recalls Parliament’s requests for additional measures;

2. Calls for a clear separation between State and religion in China, grounded in principles of independence and non-interference in religious affairs;

6. Insists that the systemic deterioration of human rights in China, including the situation in Tibet and in Xinjiang, and prominent individual cases such as Sakharov laureate Ilham Tohti, must feature prominently on the agenda of the next EU-China summit;

3. Asserts that the current rules and policies on religious activities go beyond the legitimate goal of protecting State secularism and “maintain and promote harmony among different religions, within the same religion, and between religious and non-religious citizens” recalled in the Administrative Measures for Religious Clergy;

7. Calls on the EU to lead action at the UN Human Rights Council to create an independent investigative mechanism into China’s human rights abuses;

4. Urges the PRC authorities to uphold its Constitution and cease all forms of discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the HR/VP, the Member States, the Chinese authorities and government and the United Nations.

5. Calls on the PRC government to provide credible information regarding the whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family and to permit their safe return to Tibet;

6. Instructs to forward this resolution to the EU and PRC authorities.