[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 557 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 557

 Honoring the contributions of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari as Special Envoy of 
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in promoting the legitimate rights and 
                   aspirations of the Tibetan people.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 13, 2012

Mr. Kerry (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Udall 
   of Colorado, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Kirk, Mr. McCain, and Mrs. Boxer) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                          on Foreign Relations

                           September 19, 2012

             Committee discharged; considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the contributions of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari as Special Envoy of 
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in promoting the legitimate rights and 
                   aspirations of the Tibetan people.

Whereas Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, who was born in Nyarong, Kham in 1949, was 
        recognized according to Tibetan Buddhist tradition as a reincarnate lama 
        and began his monastic studies at 4 years of age in Lhumorhab Monastery, 
        which was located in what is now Kardze Prefecture, Sichuan Province;
Whereas, in 1958, 9-year-old Lodi Gyari fled Nyarong with his family to avoid 
        pursuit by the Chinese People's Liberation Army and was said to have led 
        his group to safety in India through prayer and divinations;
Whereas Lodi Gyari, as a young man in India, began a career-long commitment to 
        the Tibetan struggle against Chinese oppression in Tibet, becoming 
        editor for the Tibetan Freedom Press, founder of the Tibetan Review, the 
        first English language journal published by Tibetans in exile, and a 
        founding member of the Tibetan Youth Congress;
Whereas Lodi Gyari served as a civil servant in the Central Tibetan 
        Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as Chairman of the 
        Tibetan Parliament in exile, and as a Deputy Cabinet Minister for the 
        Departments of Religious Affairs and Health and Cabinet Minister for the 
        Department of Information and International Relations;
Whereas, in 1991, Lodi Gyari moved to the United States in the capacity of 
        Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and was soon after selected 
        to be President of the International Campaign for Tibet;
Whereas, for 3 decades, Lodi Gyari has met with leaders and diplomats of 
        governments around the world and with Members of the United States 
        Congress and parliaments of other nations--

    (1) to explain the Tibetan position with regard to engagement with 
China;

    (2) to urge supportive strategies and policies from governments;

    (3) to explain the Dalai Lama's ``Middle Way'' philosophy of seeking 
genuine autonomy for Tibet within the People's Republic of China that 
contributes to harmony between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples; and

    (4) to promote Tibetan statecraft as the Dalai Lama's senior 
ambassador-at-large;

Whereas, during his time as Special Envoy based in Washington, DC, Congress 
        approved many policy and programmatic measures on Tibet, which served to 
        institutionalize the Tibet issue within the Government of the United 
        States, most notably the establishment of a Special Coordinator on 
        Tibetan Issues within the Department of State and support for Tibetan 
        refugees;
Whereas, in 1999, Lodi Gyari became a United States citizen;
Whereas in May 1998, His Holiness the Dalai Lama authorized Special Envoy Lodi 
        Gyari to be the principal person to reestablish contact with the Chinese 
        government on the Tibetan issue;
Whereas, between September 2002 and January 2010, Lodi Gyari led the Dalai 
        Lama's negotiating team in 9 formal rounds of meetings with Chinese 
        officials with tireless drive and immense skill, winning the respect of 
        the international community;
Whereas Lodi Gyari presented the Chinese government with the Memorandum on 
        Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People and its accompanying Note, thus 
        detailing the Tibetan side's vision for a political solution for Tibet 
        consistent within the framework of the Chinese constitutional and laws 
        on autonomy;
Whereas Lodi Gyari, in service to the Dalai Lama, came to represent in national 
        capitals around the world, the great hope and conviction that the rights 
        of Tibetans could be protected and their repression could be ended.
Whereas, in the personally and professionally difficult task of representing 
        Tibetan interests in dialogue with the People's Republic of China, Lodi 
        Gyari demonstrated spirit, intelligence, and extraordinary tact, and 
        brought civility, reason and a measure of mutual understanding to the 
        Tibetan-Chinese relationship;
Whereas Lodi Gyari has credited the far-sighted wisdom of His Holiness the Dalai 
        Lama in empowering the Tibetan people by his devolution of his political 
        authority to an elected Tibetan leadership; and
Whereas, Lodi Gyari resigned his position, effective June 1, 2012, in the 
        context of the deteriorating situation inside Tibet, including 
        increasing incidents of Tibetan self-immolations, and expressing deep 
        frustration over the lack of positive response from the Chinese side in 
        their nearly 10-year dialogue, and in respect for the process of the 
        devolution of political power to the elected Tibetan leaders.
Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) honors the service of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari as Special 
        Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama;
            (2) commends the achievements of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari in 
        building an international coalition of support for Tibet that 
        recognizes--
                    (A) the imperative to preserve the distinct culture 
                and religious traditions of Tibet; and
                    (B) that the Tibetan people are entitled under 
                international law to their own identity and dignity and 
                genuine autonomy within the People's Republic of China 
                that fully preserves the rights and dignity of the 
                Tibetan people;
            (3) acknowledges the role of Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, as a 
        naturalized United States citizen, to promoting understanding 
        in the United States of the Tibetan people, their culture and 
        religion, and their struggle for genuine autonomy, human 
        rights, dignity, and the preservation of unique linguistic, 
        cultural, and religious traditions; and
            (4) strongly supports a political solution for Tibet within 
        the People's Republic of China that satisfies the legitimate 
        grievances and aspirations of the Tibetan people.
                                 <all>