A Reply from Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ireland

OFFICE OF THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

DUBLIN 2

Mr. Colm Quinn .... ....

29 May 2001

Dear Mr. Quinn,

Mr. Brian Cowen T.D., Minister for Foreign Affairs, has asked me to thank you for your letter regarding the case of Mr. Zhao Ming.

The Minister shares your concerns about the treatment of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese government. Together with his EU partners, he has conveyed these concerns to the Chinese authorities and has called upon them to respect the human rights of individuals. We have urged them to act in accordance with the principles contained in the UN Covenants signed by China, in particular those relating to the freedoms of expression, assembly and association. We have also expressed concern about the number of arrests and the heavy sentences imposed on some members of the Falun Gong movement, most recently in the course of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, 22 23 February. This dialogue is our preferred channel for working to improve the human rights situation in areas of concern and we see it remaining so in the period ahead.

The specific areas in which the EU will be seeking progress through the dialogue include respect for the exercise of the freedoms of expression, religion and belief, both public and private, and respect for the fundamental rights of all prisoners, including those arrested for membership of the political opposition, unofficial religious associations or other movements, such as the Falun Gong.

The Minister wishes to assure you that the Government is committed to working actively to bring about full observance of human rights in China.

Yours sincerely,

Breifne O'Reilly

Private Secretary