By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 56

Chinese dissident's wife and activists welcome rights award
(BEIJING) - The awarding of a major European human rights prize to jailed Chinese activist Hu Jia on Thursday is welcome foreign recognition of his and other campaigners' work, his wife and dissidents said.

"I think Hu Jia would be very happy because his work has now received everyone's validation," Zeng Jinyan, Hu's wife, told AFP by telephone.

The European Parliament awarded the prestigious Sakharov Prize to Hu for his years of efforts to highlight human rights abuses in communist-ruled China.

Hu, 35, won despite China warning that giving him the prize would damage ties with Europe, with the announcement coming one day ahead of a major summit in Beijing between Asian and European leaders.

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 45

China voices anger over EU rights prize for 'criminal' Hu
(BEIJING) - China expressed its anger and disappointment at the European Union decision on Thursday to give a major human rights award to Chinese dissident Hu Jia, insisting he was a criminal.

The European Parliament awarded the Sakharov Prize to Hu, who is serving a three-and-a-half year jail term on charges of subversion, saying it was "a clear signal of support to all those who defend human rights in China."

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao described the EU move as "gross interference in China's domestic affairs".

"We express strong dissatisfaction at the decision by the European Parliament to issue such an award to a jailed criminal in China, in disregard of our repeated representations," Liu told reporters.

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 43

EU-Asia summit should seek release of Myanmar dissidents: MEPs
(STRASBOURG) - The European Parliament on Thursday called on Asian and European leaders meeting in Beijing this week to launch a joint appeal to the Myanmar junta for the release of all political prisoners there.

In a non-binding resolution, adopted unanimously by the 68 euro deputies still present at the end of a four-day sitting, the parliament denounced "the arbitrary charges behind the arrests of many dissidents and the harsh conditions of detention of political prisoners including widespread use of torture and hard labour."

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 45

US presses China to free EU prize-winning dissident
(WASHINGTON) - Washington said Thursday it hopes Beijing will move to free Chinese dissident Hu Jia from prison, after the European Parliament awarded him a human rights prize on the eve of an EU-Asia summit.

"We are deeply concerned about the imprisonment of human rights activist Hu Jia and have pressed the Chinese authorities for his immediate release on many occasions and at the highest level," said State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid.

"We hope that the recognition the European Parliament has given Hu Jia by awarding him the prestigious Sakharov Prize will demonstrate to China's leaders the enormous esteem the international community holds for his important work as a human rights defender and that China will release him immediately."

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 44

Vietnam rejects EU criticism on human rights
(HANOI) - Vietnam's government on Friday rejected a European parliament resolution this week that accused the communist country of "systematic violation of democracy and human rights."

The resolution, passed by a 479-21 vote Wednesday, recommended that the European Union reassess its cooperation with Vietnam and said the human rights dialogue "must lead to tangible improvements in Vietnam."

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung in an online statement praised recent cooperative EU-Vietnam relations and ongoing talks about a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement that would further improve bilateral ties.

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 52

EU envoy urges lifting of Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest
(ROME) - The European Union's Special Envoy for Myanmar, Italian Piero Fassino, called on the country's ruling junta Friday to release Aung San Suu Kyi on the thirteenth anniversary of her house arrest.

By: amanger 9 November 2008 view: 71

MEP expects SKorea-EU trade pact this year
(SEOUL) - South Korea and the European Union are expected to finalise a free trade agreement this year after narrowing their differences on key points, a visiting senior European legislator said Tuesday.

"All the signals we have received from our partners are very positive," said Hubert Pirker, leader of a European Parliament delegation on relations with Korea.

By: mayster 9 November 2008 view: 11