[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 103 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 500
105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 103

Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the recommendations 
   of the International Commission of Jurists on Tibet and on United 
                  States policy with regard to Tibet.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 10, 1998

    Mr. Moynihan (for himself, Mr. Helms, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Mack, Mr. 
  Wellstone, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Gregg, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Grassley, and Ms. 
 Snowe) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

                             July 28, 1998

        Reported by Mr. Lott (for Mr. Helms), with an amendment
[Strike out all after the resolving clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the recommendations 
   of the International Commission of Jurists on Tibet and on United 
                  States policy with regard to Tibet.

Whereas the International Commission of Jurists is a non-governmental 
        organization founded in 1952 to defend the Rule of Law throughout the 
        world and to work towards the full observance of the provisions in the 
        Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas in 1959, 1960, and 1964, the International Commission of Jurists 
        examined Chinese policy in Tibet, violations of human rights in Tibet, 
        and the position of Tibet in international law;
Whereas in 1960, the International Commission of Jurists found ``that acts of 
        genocide has been committed in Tibet in an attempt to destroy the 
        Tibetans as a religious group, * * *'' and concluded that Tibet was at 
        least ``a de facto independent State'' prior to 1951 and that Tibet was 
        a ``legitimate concern of the United Nations even on the restrictive 
        interpretation of matters `essentially within the domestic jurisdiction' 
        of a State.'';
Whereas these findings were presented to the United Nations General Assembly, 
        which adopted three resolutions (1959, 1961, and 1965) calling on the 
        People's Republic of China to ensure respect for the fundamental human 
        rights of the Tibetan people and for their distinctive cultural and 
        religious life, and to cease practices which deprive the Tibetan people 
        of their fundamental human rights and freedoms including their right to 
        self-determination;
Whereas in December 1997, the International Commission of Jurists issued a 
        fourth report on Tibet, examining human rights and the rule of law, 
        including self-determination;
Whereas the President has repeatedly indicated his support for substantive 
        dialogue between the Government of the People's Republic of China and 
        the Dalai Lama or his representatives; and
Whereas on October 31, 1997, the Secretary of State appointed a Special 
        Coordinator for Tibetan Issues to oversee United States policy regarding 
        Tibet: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representative concurring), 
<DELETED>That Congress--
        <DELETED>    (1) expresses grave concern regarding the findings 
        of the December 1997 International Commission of Jurists report 
        on Tibet that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) repression in Tibet has increased 
                steadily since 1994, resulting in heightened control on 
                religious activity; a denunciation campaign against the 
                Dalai Lama unprecedented since the Cultural Revolution; 
                an increase in political arrests; suppression of 
                peaceful protests; and an accelerated movement of 
                Chinese to Tibet; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in 1997, the People's Republic of 
                China labeled the Tibetan Buddhist culture, which has 
                flourished in Tibet since the seventh century, as a 
                ``foreign culture'' in order to facilitate 
                indoctrination of Tibetans in Chinese socialist 
                ideology and the process of national and cultural 
                extermination;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) supports the recommendations contained in the 
        report referred to in paragraph (1) that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) call on the Republic of China--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) to enter into discussions with 
                        the Dalai Lama or his representatives on a 
                        solution to the question of Tibet based on the 
                        will of the Tibetan people;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) to ensure respect for the 
                        fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) to end those practices which 
                        threaten to erode the distinct cultural, 
                        religious and national identity of the Tibetan 
                        people and, in particular, to cease policies 
                        which result in the movement of Chinese people 
                        to Tibetan territory;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) call on the United Nations General 
                Assembly to resume its debate on the question of Tibet 
                based on its resolutions of 1959, 1961, and 1965, and 
                to hold a referendum in Tibet; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) calls on the Dalai Lama or his 
                representatives to enter into discussions with the 
                Government of the People's Republic of China on a 
                solution to the question of Tibet based on the will on 
                the Tibetan people;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) commends the appointment by the Secretary of 
        State of a United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan 
        Issues--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) to promote substantive dialogue 
                between the Government of the People's Republic of 
                China and the Dalai Lama or his 
                representatives;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) to coordinate United States Government 
                policies, programs, and projects concerning 
                Tibet;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) to consult with the Congress on 
                policies relevant to Tibet and the future and welfare 
                of all Tibetan people, and to report to Congress in 
                partial fulfillment of the requirements of section 
                536(a) of the Public Law 103-236; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) to advance United States policy which 
                seeks to protect the unique religious, cultural, and 
                linguistic heritage of Tibet, and to encourage improved 
                respect for Tibetan human rights;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) calls on the People's Republic of China to 
        release from detention the 9-year old Panchen Lama, Gedhun 
        Cheokyi Nyima, to his home in Tibet from which he was taken on 
        May 17, 1995, and to allow him to pursue his religious studies 
        without interference and according to tradition; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) calls on the President, as a central objective 
        of the 1998 presidential summit meeting with Jiang Zemin in 
        Beijing, to secure an agreement to begin substantive 
        negotiations between the Government of the People's Republic of 
        China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives.</DELETED>
That Congress--
            (1) expresses grave concern regarding the findings of the 
        December 1997 International Commission of Jurists report on 
        Tibet that--
                    (A) repression in Tibet has increased steadily 
                since 1994, resulting in heightened control on 
                religious activity; a denunciation campaign against the 
                Dalai Lama unprecedented since the Cultural Revolution; 
                an increase in political arrests; suppression of 
                peaceful protests; and an accelerated movement of 
                Chinese to Tibet; and
                    (B) in 1997, the People's Republic of China labeled 
                the Tibetan Buddhist culture, which has flourished in 
                Tibet since the seventh century, as a ``foreign 
                culture'' in order to facilitate indoctrination of 
                Tibetans in Chinese socialist ideology and the process 
                of national and cultural extermination;
            (2) supports the recommendations contained in the report 
        referred to in paragraph (1) that--
                    (A) call on the People's Republic of China--
                            (i) to enter into discussions with the 
                        Dalai Lama or his representatives on a solution 
                        to the question of Tibet;
                            (ii) to ensure respect for the fundamental 
                        human rights of the Tibetan people; and
                            (iii) to end those practices which threaten 
                        to erode the distinct cultural, religious and 
                        national identity of the Tibetan people and, in 
                        particular, to cease policies which result in 
                        the movement of Chinese people to Tibetan 
                        territory;
                    (B) call on the United Nations General Assembly to 
                resume its debate on the question of Tibet based on its 
                resolutions of 1959, 1961, and 1965; and
                    (C) call on the Dalai Lama or his representatives 
                to enter into discussions with the Government of the 
                People's Republic of China on a solution to the 
                question of Tibet;
            (3) commends the appointment by the Secretary of State of a 
        United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues--
                    (A) to promote substantive dialogue between the 
                Government of the People's Republic of China and the 
                Dalai Lama or his representatives;
                    (B) to coordinate United States Government 
                policies, programs, and projects concerning Tibet;
                    (C) to consult with the Congress on policies 
                relevant to Tibet and the future and welfare of all 
                Tibetan people, and to report to Congress in partial 
                fulfillment of the requirements of section 536(a) of 
                the Public Law 103-236; and
                    (D) to advance United States policy which seeks to 
                protect the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic 
                heritage of Tibet, and to encourage improved respect 
                for Tibetan human rights;
            (4) calls on the People's Republic of China to release from 
        detention the 9-year old Panchen Lama, Gedhun Cheokyi Nyima, to 
        his home in Tibet from which he was taken on May 17, 1995, and 
        to allow him to pursue his religious studies without 
        interference and according to tradition;
            (5) commends the President for publicly urging President 
        Jiang Zemin, during their recent summit meeting in Beijing, to 
        engage in dialogue with the Dalai Lama; and
            (6) calls on the President to continue to work to secure an 
        agreement to begin substantive negotiations between the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama 
        or his representatives.




                                                       Calendar No. 500

105th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                            S. CON. RES. 103

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of the recommendations 
   of the International Commission of Jurists on Tibet and on United 
                  States policy with regard to Tibet.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             July 28, 1998

                       Reported with an amendment