GENEVA, Mar 20, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) The Human Rights in China (HRIC) group urged the European Union to co-sponsor a resolution with the United States condemning China for its human rights record on Monday.

Past attempts by the United States for a resolution condemning China have failed, with EU member states having shown themselves unwilling to sign-up.

"Since the failure of the UN Commission on Human Rights to censure China" during last year's session, "Beijing has tightened restrictions on the freedom of information, expression and association," said HRIC director Xiao Qiang.

The HRIC has criticized the EU for having chosen, since 1997, a bilateral dialogue with China and for its refusal to support a multilateral resolution.

"The dialogue between the EU and China has proven ineffective, and it's imperative that EU countries speak and take action against China's worsening human rights record," said Qiang.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday said they would express concern over "serious" rights violations in China during the UN human rights session.

The ministers said the EU delegation would also urge China to "take further steps to improve the situation on the ground," including ratifying international rights conventions and enacting necessary national legislation.

Noting that the U.S. would again be tabling a rights resolution at the Geneva conclave, they said the EU would vote for it, but not co-sponsor it.

Last year, China used a procedural motion to avoid all condemnation of its record by blocking a move sponsored by Washington.

China saw off any introduction of a resolution against it by gaining enough support for a "no-action motion" with 22 of the 53 member states behind it, while 18 abstained.

Despite growing evidence of violations of human rights in China, the country has for the last decade repeatedly and successfully used this method, apart from once in 1995.

As the UN's principal human rights organ, the Commission on Human Rights carries out studies, prepares recommendations and elaborates draft international agreements on human rights.

As delegates gathered for the convention, up to 800 followers of China's banned religious [group] Falun Gong protested outside the UN headquarters in Geneva. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)

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