G. whereas 38 Tibetans, mostly monks and nuns, have reportedly set themselves on fire since 2009 in protest against restrictive Chinese policies in Tibet and in support of the return of the Dalai Lama and the right to religious freedom in the Aba/Ngaba county prefecture in Sichuan Province and other parts of the Tibetan plateau; H. whereas the current state of wellbeing and the whereabouts of a number of victims of self-immolation remain unknown or unclear, namely Chimey Palden, Tenpa Darjey, Jamyang Palden, Lobsang Gyatso, Sona Rabyang, Dawa Tsering, Kelsang Wangchuck, Lobsang Kelsang, Lobsang Kunchok and Tapey; I. whereas Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, was detained by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China and has not been seen since 14 May 1995; J. whereas Tibetan identity, language, culture and religion – the testimony to a historically rich civilisation – are endangered by the resettlement of Han people in the historical territory of Tibet and the extermination of the traditional nomadic lifestyle of the Tibetans; K. whereas the EU is in the process of appointing and laying down the mandate of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights; L. whereas the European Parliament’s previous calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU to address the situation in Tibet with her Chinese counterparts have not delivered the expected results; 1. Reiterates that the Strategic Partnership between the EU and the People’s Republic of China should be based on shared principles and values; 2. Calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU to increase and intensify efforts to address the human rights situation of the Tibetans in the framework of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue; 3. Regrets, in this respect, the unwillingness of the Chinese authorities to hold the dialogue twice a year and their stance concerning the modalities and frequency of the meetings, with regard in particular to the strengthening of the civil society segment and the involvement of civil society in the dialogue; urges the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union to make every effort to ensure that the human rights dialogue is more effective and result-oriented; 4. Commends the very important and successful democratisation process in the governance of Tibetans in exile by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the recent transfer by him of his political powers and responsibilities to the democratically elected Kalon Tripa of the Central Tibetan Administration, which represents the aspirations of the Tibetan people; 5. Commends the decision of the democratically elected new Tibetan political leadership to continue to abide by the Middle-Way Policy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibetans within the People’s Republic of China and within the framework of the Chinese Constitution; 6. Endorses the principles set out in the Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan