[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 609 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 609
Expressing support for the people of Tibet.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 29, 2012
Mr. Sensenbrenner (for himself and Mr. George Miller of California)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the people of Tibet.
Whereas Tibet is the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the most revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China continues to enforce
policies that infringe on fundamental freedoms of Tibetans, including
punitive security measures against monasteries, mass arrests, and
restrictions on freedom to practice religion;
Whereas both the Dalai Lama and the Kalon Tripa, Dr. Lobsang Sangay, the prime
minister democratically elected by the Tibetan exile community, have
specifically stated that they do not seek independence for Tibet from
China;
Whereas, in his inaugural address on August 8, 2011, Kalon Tripa Sangay stated
that he will ``continue the Middle-Way policy, which seeks genuine
autonomy for Tibet within the People's Republic of China'';
Whereas, according to the Department of State's 2011 Report on Tibet
Negotiations, since 2002, nine rounds of talks between the Government of
the People's Republic of China and envoys of the Dalai Lama ``have not
borne concrete results'';
Whereas, despite persistent efforts by the Dalai Lama and his representatives,
the Government of the People's Republic of China and envoys of the Dalai
Lama have not held any formal dialogue since January 2010;
Whereas, since March 2011, at least 30 Tibetans have set themselves on fire, and
at least 22 have died;
Whereas the repressive policies of the Government of the People's Republic of
China have created an environment of despair, hopelessness, and
frustration among many Tibetans;
Whereas, on November 1, 2011, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom
of Religion or Belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, expressed concern over
``restrictive measures'' implemented by the Government of the People's
Republic of China in Tibetan monasteries, stating that such measures
``not only curtail the right to freedom of religion or belief, but
further exacerbate the existing tensions, and are counterproductive''
and affirming that ``the right of members of the monastic community, and
the wider community to freely practice their religion, should be fully
respected and guaranteed by the Chinese Government'';
Whereas, on January 24, 2012, Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Civilian
Security, Democracy and Human Rights, and United States Special
Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, issued a statement expressing concern
about ``reports of violence and continuing heightened tensions in
Tibetan areas of China, including reports of security forces in Sichuan
province opening fire on protesters, killing some and injuring others'';
Whereas the Constitution of the People's Republic of China guarantees freedom of
religious belief for all citizens, but the July-December 2010
International Religious Freedom Report of the Department of State states
that ``the [Chinese] government's repression of religious freedom
remained severe in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan
areas'';
Whereas, on March 10, 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced that he would
relinquish his last remaining governmental duties in the Central Tibetan
Administration, and would turn over political authority to the
leadership democratically elected by Tibetans in exile;
Whereas, on March 20, 2011, the Tibetan government in exile conducted
competitive democratic elections that were monitored by international
observers and deemed free, fair, and consistent with international
standards;
Whereas nearly 50,000 people in over 30 countries, more than half of all the
eligible Tibetan exiles voters, participated in the March 20, 2011,
elections;
Whereas Dr. Lobsang Sangay was elected Kalon Tripa, or prime minister, of the
Central Tibetan Administration after receiving 55 percent of votes in
the March 20, 2011, election and was inaugurated on August 8, 2011;
Whereas Kalon Tripa Sangay was selected to study in the United States under the
Department of State's Tibetan Scholarship Program, earning a doctorate
in law from Harvard University, and served as a Senior Fellow at the
East Asian Legal Studies Program at Harvard Law School;
Whereas Kalon Tripa Sangay, while at Harvard University, promoted dialogue among
Tibetan exiles and Chinese students and visiting Chinese scholars to
enhance mutual understanding and advance the prospects for
reconciliation; and
Whereas it is the objective of the United States Government, consistent across
administrations of different political parties and as articulated in the
Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (subtitle B of title VI of Public Law 107-
228; 22 U.S.C. 6901 note) to promote a substantive dialogue between the
Government of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his
representatives in order to secure genuine autonomy for the Tibetan
people within China: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) mourns the death of Tibetans who have self-immolated
and deplores the repressive policies targeting Tibetans;
(2) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of
China to suspend implementation of religious control
regulations, reassess religious and security policies
implemented since 2008 in Tibet, and resume a dialogue with
Tibetan Buddhist leaders, including the Dalai Lama or his
representatives, to resolve underlying grievances;
(3) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of
China to release all persons that have been arbitrarily
detained; to cease the intimidation, harassment and detention
of peaceful protestors; and to allow unrestricted access to
journalists, foreign diplomats, and international organizations
to Tibet;
(4) calls on the Secretary of State to seek from the
Government of the People's Republic of China a full accounting
of the forcible removal of monks from Kirti Monastery,
including an explanation of the pretext or conditions under
which monks were removed and their current whereabouts;
(5) commends His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his decision
to devolve his political power in favor of a democratic system;
(6) congratulates Tibetans living in exile for holding, on
March 20, 2011, a competitive, multi-candidate election that
was free, fair, and met international electoral standards; and
(7) reaffirms the unwavering friendship between the people
of the United States and the people of Tibet; and (8) both--
(A) calls on the Department of State to fully
implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (subtitle B of
title VI of Public Law 107-228; 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
(B) 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 consulate in Lhasa, Tibet.
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