[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 365 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
S. RES. 365

 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the detention of Tibetan 
   political prisoners by the Government of the People's Republic of 
                                 China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 19, 2004

 Mr. Brownback (for himself and Mr. Bingaman) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the detention of Tibetan 
   political prisoners by the Government of the People's Republic of 
                                 China.

Whereas, for more than 1,000 years, Tibet has maintained a sovereign national 
        identity that is distinct from the national identity of China;
Whereas armed forces of the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet in 1949 and 
        1950, and have occupied it ever since;
Whereas, according to the Department of State and international human rights 
        organizations, the Government of the People's Republic of China 
        continues to commit widespread and well-documented human rights abuses 
        in Tibet;
Whereas the People's Republic of China has yet to demonstrate its willingness to 
        abide by internationally accepted standards of freedom of belief, 
        expression, and association by repealing or amending laws and decrees 
        that restrict those freedoms;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has detained hundreds 
        of Tibetan nuns, monks, and lay persons as political prisoners for 
        speaking out against China's occupation of Tibet and for their efforts 
        to preserve Tibet's distinct national identity;
Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron was arrested on October 14, 1989, together with 5 other 
        nuns, for participating in a peaceful protest against China's occupation 
        of Tibet;
Whereas, on February 26, 2004, following a sustained international campaign on 
        her behalf, the Government of the People's Republic of China released 
        Phuntsog Nyidron from detention after she served more than 14 years of 
        her 16-year sentence;
Whereas Tenzin Delek, a prominent Tibetan religious leader, and 3 other monks 
        were arrested on April 7, 2002, during a nighttime raid on Jamyang 
        Choekhorling monastery in Nyagchu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture;
Whereas, following a closed trial and more than 8 months of incommunicado 
        detention, Tenzin Delek and another Tibetan, Lobsang Dhondup, were 
        convicted of inciting separatism and for their alleged involvement in a 
        series of bombings on December 2, 2002;
Whereas Lobsang Dhondup was sentenced to death and Tenzin Delek was sentenced to 
        death with a 2-year suspension;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China promised senior 
        officials of the United States and other governments that the cases of 
        Lobsang Dhondup and Tenzin Delek would be subjected to a ``lengthy 
        review'' by the Supreme People's Court prior to the death sentences 
        being carried out;
Whereas the Supreme People's Court never carried out the promised review, and 
        Lobsang Dhondup was executed on January 26, 2003;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has failed to produce 
        any evidence that either Lobsang Dhondup or Tenzin Delek were involved 
        in the crimes for which they were convicted, despite repeated requests 
        from officials of the United States and other governments;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to imprison 
        Tibetans for engaging in peaceful efforts to protest China's occupation 
        of Tibet and preserve the Tibetan identity;
Whereas Tibetan political prisoners are routinely subjected to beatings, 
        electric shock, solitary confinement, and other forms of torture and 
        inhumane treatment while in Chinese custody;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to exert 
        control over religious and cultural institutions in Tibet, abusing human 
        rights through the torture, arbitrary arrest, and detention without fair 
        or public trial of Tibetans who peacefully express their political or 
        religious views or attempt to preserve the unique Tibetan identity; and
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has paroled individual 
        political prisoners for good behavior or for medical reasons in the face 
        of strong international pressure, but has failed to make the systemic 
        changes necessary to provide minimum standards of due process or 
        protections for basic civil and political rights: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) the Government of the People's Republic of China is in 
        violation of international human rights standards by detaining 
        and mistreating Tibetans who engage in peaceful activities to 
        protest China's occupation of Tibet or promote the preservation 
        of a distinct Tibetan identity;
            (2) sustained international pressure on the Government of 
        the People's Republic of China is essential to improve the 
        human rights situation in Tibet and secure the release of 
        Tibetan political prisoners;
            (3) the Government of the United States should--
                    (A) raise the cases of Tenzin Delek and other 
                Tibetan political prisoners in every meeting with 
                officials from the People's Republic of China; and
                    (B) work with other governments concerned about 
                human rights in Tibet and China to encourage the 
                release of Tibetan political prisoners and promote 
                systemic improvement of human rights in Tibet and 
                China; and
            (4) the Government of the People's Republic of China 
        should, as a gesture of goodwill and in order to promote human 
        rights, immediately release all Tibetan political prisoners, 
        including Tenzin Delek.
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