P7_TA(2009)0105 China: minority rights and application of the death penalty European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2009 on China: minority rights and application of the death penalty The European Parliament, – having regard to its previous resolutions of 1 February 20071 and 27 September 20072 on a universal moratorium on the death penalty, – having regard to the UN General Assembly resolutions of 18 December 2007 (A/RES/62/149) and of 18 December 2008 (A/RES/63/168) entitled "Moratorium on the use of the death penalty", – having regard to the declarations by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union of, respectively, 29 October 2009 regarding the executions of two Tibetans, Mr Lobsang Gyaltsen and Mr Loyak, and 12 November 2009 regarding the executions of nine persons of Uighur ethnicity following the riots of 5-7 July 2009 in Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR), – having regard to Articles 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, which provide, respectively, that all citizens shall enjoy freedom of expression and freedom of religious belief, and deem the freedom of the person to be 'inviolable', – having regard to its previous resolutions on China and, in particular, to its resolution of 13 December 2007 on the EU-China Summit and the EU-China human rights dialogue3, – having regard to the EU-China seminar of 18-19 November 2009 and the 28th round of the EU-China human rights dialogue held on 20 November 2009 in Bejing, – having regard to the 27th round of the EU-China human rights dialogue held on 14 May 2009 in Prague, – having regard to the 12th EU-China Summit to be held on 30 November 2009 in Nanjing, – having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure, A. whereas the Union is based on adherence to the values of freedom, democracy and observance of human rights and to the rule of law, and it regards observance of those inalienable rights as an essential prerequisite for peaceful existence in a society, B. whereas the new EU-China Strategic Partnership, currently being negotiated, is very important for relations between the Union and China in the future, and whereas a true partnership must be based on shared common values, 1 2 3 OJ C 250 E, 25.10.2007, p. 91. OJ C 219 E, 28.8.2008, p. 306. OJ C 323 E, 18.12.2008, p. 489.