STRASBOURG, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The European
Parliament on Thursday raised concerns about China's rights record and urged the
International Olympic Committee to look into whether Beijing was living up to
pledges it made to win the 2008 Games.
In a resolution passed unanimously
by the parliament in Strasbourg, the assembly criticised the European Union for
failing to use the approaching Olympics to pressure China over such
concerns.
"Human rights concerns should receive much more focus in the
build-up to the Beijing Olympic Games," the resolution said.
It said the
parliament was concerned that in the run-up to the Olympics there had been a
rise in political persecution of rights activists, journalists, lawyers, and
minorities.
The resolution called on the IOC to publish an assessment of
China's compliance with pledges to improve rights conditions made in 2001 before
securing the games.
It also urged Chinese authorities to free jailed
dissidents and stop censoring and blocking Internet sites, and it called for a
moratorium on judicial executions during the Games.
Last nonth IOC
official and European parliament member Pal Schmitt said he would urge the IOC
to make a statement on rights in China before next year's Beijing
Games.
Rights activists say China has failed to stick to pledges to
improve human rights conditions, including media freedoms, ahead of the
games.
Edward McMillan-Scott, Conservative vice-president of the European
Parliament, said in a statement he "deplored China's continued use of brutal
repression of all dissidence".
Graham Watson, head of the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats in the Parliament, said Beijing must prove it was willing
to meet its commitments.
"By improving media freedom in line with Olympic
pledges, suspending the death penalty and ceasing its support for military
dictators from Burma to Darfur, it can win its place at the heart of the
international community," he said.
"These are promises made not only to
the world but to the Chinese citizens as well."
(Reporting by David
Brunnstrom; Editing by Richard Balmforth)