A coalition of Uyghur, Mongolian, Hong Kong, and Tibetan organisations in the Netherlands delivered a joint petition to the Tweede Kamer's Committee on Foreign Affairs, calling for urgent parliamentary action ahead of Minister Sjoerdsma's upcoming visit to China.
On June 9, 2026, the Coalition for Human Rights in China and Inner Asia - representing Uyghur, Mongolian, Hong Kong, and Tibetan communities in the Netherlands - submitted a formal petition to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Tweede Kamer. Representatives met directly with Maes van Lanschot (CDA) and Nicole Maes (VVD) to present our shared concerns about China's systematic violations of the rights of ethnic and national minorities.
At the heart of our submission is China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress - a law that, despite its name, is being used to erase cultures, languages, and identities across Tibet, East Turkestan, Southern Mongolia, and Hong Kong. The coalition urged the committee to formally declare this law incompatible with China's binding international obligations. "China's Ethnic Unity Law is not a law about unity. It is a legal instrument to suppress difference — and it violates the ICESCR, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and CERD."
The coalition's four requests to the committee:
1. Urgent meeting with Minister Sjoerdsma
Support our coalition's request to meet the Minister before his China visit to present our cases directly, and call on him to report back to parliament and civil society on how human rights concerns were addressed.
2. Parliamentary resolution on the Ethnic Unity Law
Initiate a resolution in the Tweede Kamer declaring that China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is incompatible with its obligations under international human rights law, including the ICESCR, the CRC, and CERD.
3. Follow-up on April 2025 parliamentary motions
Systematically assess government compliance with the motions adopted by the Tweede Kamer in April 2025, which contained clear instructions to act on Tibet and related human rights concerns.
4. EU Special Representative for affected regions
Reaffirm the need for stronger EU coordination on human rights in China, including the appointment of a dedicated EU Special Representative to address the situations in Tibet, East Turkestan, Hong Kong, and Southern Mongolia.
EU4TIBET is a campaign led jointly by the Tibet Interest Group of the European Parliament, the International Campaign for Tibet and the Office of Tibet Brussels, with the significant support of the International Tibet Network, Tibet Support Groups and Tibetan Communities in Europe.
