US: Speaker Pelosi introduces resolution on Tibet

Sat Apr 5 15:41:37 UTC 2008

Speaker Pelosi introduces resolution on Tibet
Friday, April 04 2008 @ 08:51 pm BST

 Speaker Pelosi, with the members of a bipartisan congressional
delegation that met on March 21 in Dharamsala with His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, introduced House Resolution 1077 on April 3 evening which
calls on China to cease the crackdown, release protestors, provide
unfettered access to journalists and independent international
monitors to Tibet, and engage in a results-based dialogue with the
Dalai Lama. The resolution also cites the Tibetan Policy Act which
calls for an official US government presence in Lhasa. The Speaker's
introduction and full text of the resolution is attached.

 Mary Beth Markey, ICT Vice President for International Advocacy, who
accompanied the congressional delegation in Dharamsala, had the
following comment: "Of course, there is great concern in the Congress
about the crisis in Tibet. Since their return from break this week, we
have seen already the circulation of several legislative initiatives
and joint letters to both Presidents Hu and Bush, briefings with the
Dalai Lama's envoy and closed discussions with Chinese officials. As
the leader and, in my view, the most experienced and knowledgeable
China-watcher in Congress, it is no surprise that Speaker Pelosi's
resolution takes on the key issues and is the first out of the box. We
thank the Speaker and Representatives Sensenbrenner, Markey, Miller,
McDermott, Eshoo, Inslee, Solis, Norton and Holt and look forward to
prompt passage."

HOUSE RESOLUTION 1077

Calling on the Government of the People's Republic of China to end its
crackdown in Tibet and enter into a substantive dialogue with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama to find a negotiated solution that respects
the distinctive language, culture, religious identity, and fundamental
freedoms of all Tibetans, and for other purposes. Whereas March 10,
2008, marked the 49th anniversary of a historic uprising against
Chinese rule over the Tibetan people, which forced His Holiness, the
14th Dalai Lama, to escape into exile in India;

Whereas Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns in and around Lhasa were
blocked by Chinese authorities from staging peaceful demonstrations on
this anniversary date and were met with excessive force by the Chinese
authorities;

Whereas protests by Tibetans spread inside the Tibet Autonomous Region
and other Tibetan areas of China;

Whereas the accumulated grievances of almost six decades of cultural,
religious, economic, and linguistic repression of the Tibetan people
by the Government of the People's Republic of China has resulted in
resentments which are at the root of the Tibetan protests;

Whereas resentment of the Chinese Government by the Tibetan people has
increased sharply since 2005 as a result of Chinese policies, laws,
and regulations that have reduced economic opportunity for Tibetans
and severely eroded the ability of Tibetans to preserve their
distinctive language, culture, and religious identity;

Whereas the response by the Chinese Government to the Tibetan protests
was disproportionate and extreme, reportedly resulting in the deaths
of hundreds and the detention of thousands of Tibetans;

Whereas there have been reports that some Tibetans engaged in rioting
that may have resulted in the destruction of government and private
property, as well as the deaths of civilians;

Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama has used his leadership to promote
democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people through a
negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue, based on autonomy within the
context of China;

Whereas six rounds of dialogue between representatives of the Dalai
Lama and Chinese officials have not resulted in meaningful progress;

Whereas the Chinese Government has rebuffed calls by the President of
the United States, the United States Congress, and world leaders to
respond positively to the Dalai Lama's willingness to be personally
involved in discussions with Chinese leaders on the future of Tibet;

Whereas the Chinese Government has denigrated the Dalai Lama, labeling
him as "a splittist" and "a wolf in monk's robes", thereby further
alienating Tibetans who consider the Dalai Lama their spiritual
leader;

Whereas the Dalai Lama was recognized for his contribution to world
peace when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989;

Whereas the United States Congress, in recognition of the Dalai Lama's
outstanding moral and religious leadership and his advocacy of
nonviolence, awarded him with the Congressional Gold Medal on October
17, 2007;

Whereas the Chinese Government has failed to honor its commitment to
improve the human rights situation in China as a condition for Beijing
being selected as the site for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games;

Whereas the Chinese Government has impeded the access of international
journalists to Tibetan areas of China and distorted reports of events
surrounding the Tibetan protests, thereby violating the commitment it
made that "there will be no restrictions on media reporting and
movement of journalists up to and including the Olympic Games";

Whereas for many years, the Chinese Government has restricted the
ability of foreign journalists and foreign government officials,
including United States Government officials, to freely travel in
Tibetan areas of China, thereby curtailing access to information on
the situation in Tibetan areas;

Whereas the Chinese Government's use of propaganda during the protests
to demonize Tibetans and incite ethnic nationalism is exacerbating
ethnic tensions and is counterproductive to resolving the situation;

Whereas the United States Department of State included the People's
Republic of China among the group of countries described as "the most
systematic violators of human rights" in the introduction of the 2006
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and in previous Human Rights
Reports, but did not do so in the 2007 Human Rights Report, despite no
evidence of significant improvements in the human rights situation in
China in the past year; and

Whereas it is the policy of the United States "to support the
aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct
identity" and "to support economic development, cultural preservation,
health care, and education and environmental sustainability for
Tibetans inside Tibet", in accordance with the Tibetan Policy Act of
2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note): Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives-

(1) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to end
its crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protestors and its continuing
cultural, religious, economic, and linguistic repression inside Tibet;

(2) calls on the Chinese Government to begin a results-based dialogue,
without preconditions, directly with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to
address the legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people and provide
for a long-term solution that respects the human rights and dignity of
every Tibetan;

(3) calls on the Chinese Government to allow independent international
monitors and journalists, free and unfettered access to the Tibet
Autonomous Region and all other Tibetan areas of China for the purpose
of monitoring and documenting events surrounding the Tibetan protests
and to verify that individuals injured receive adequate medical care;

(4) calls on the Chinese Government to immediately release all
Tibetans who are imprisoned for nonviolently expressing opposition to
Chinese Government policies in Tibet;

(5) calls on the United States Department of State to publicly issue a
statement reconsidering its decision not to include the People's
Republic of China among the group of countries described as "the
world's most systematic human rights violators" in the introduction of
the 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices; and

(6) calls on the United States Department of State to fully implement
the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), including the
stipulation that the Secretary of State "seek to establish an office
in Lhasa, Tibet to monitor political, economic and cultural
developments in Tibet", and also to provide consular protection and
citizen services in emergencies, and further urges that the agreement
to permit China to open further diplomatic missions in the United
States should be contingent upon the establishment of a United States
Government office in Lhasa.
http://www.tibetcustom.com/article.php/20080404205147280

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