Parliamentary questions
WRITTEN QUESTION E-2534/02
by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission
(11 September 2002)

Subject: Arrest of Mr Wan Yanhai, founder of AIDS Action Project, by the Chinese authorities

According to various sources, Mr Wan Yanhai, founder of Aizhi Xingdong (AIDS Action Project), an NGO which focuses on the promotion of HIV/AIDS awareness, was stopped by the police last Saturday evening in Beijing, and then arrested. Mr Wan Yanhai, aged 39, has played a prominent role in campaigning for civil rights and, in particular, the rights of homosexuals and Internet freedom. He was one of the first to take a political stance on the AIDS issue, at a time when the subject was completely taboo. Mr Wan Yanhai and his friends campaigned in favour of peasants in Henan, who had been contaminated following a blood trafficking affair, and denounced the involvement of local authorities in this scandal. Last month, Mr Wan Yanhai's organisation was expelled from its offices in Beijing University.

Is the Commission aware of Mr Wan Yanhai's arrest? What action has it taken or does it intend to take vis-à-vis the Chinese authorities to ensure that he is released immediately and unconditionally? What action has it taken or does it intend to take in order to ensure that the Chinese authorities seriously tackle the issue of the massive scandal concerning contaminated blood and, more generally, address the tragic problem of the AIDS epidemic in the People's Republic of China?

E-2534/02EN
Answer given by Mr Patten
on behalf of the Commission
(15 October 2002)

The Commission has learned with regret of the arrest in Beijing of M. Wan Yanhai, founder of the Acquired Immuno deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) Action Project and human rights activist.

As the Honourable Member knows, the Commission attaches great importance to the right to freedom of speech (as an integral part of human rights) and it raises this issue regularly in the framework of its bilateral dialogue on human rights with China.

Regarding the AIDS epidemic in China, the Commission shares the Honourable Member's concern and has recognised the fight against AIDS as one of the main challenges faced by China. In order to help the Chinese to deal with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the Commission is already implementing two projects specifically dealing with AIDS issues, one of which is implemented by a Dutch non-governmental organisation.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor the respect for freedom of speech in China and will continue to contribute through its development projects to improve the local conditions to deal with the HIV.