[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E392-E393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   THE FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TIBETAN UPRISING AGAINST CHINESE 
                 SUBJUGATION--TIBETAN NATIONAL DAY 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today the international human rights 
community commemorates the fortieth anniversary of the uprising of the 
Tibetan people against Communist Chinese oppression. On March 10, 1959, 
the people of this sparsely populated mountain region rose up against a 
despotic regime intent on destroying its liberty, its culture, and its 
ancient religious heritage. Inspired by the leadership and courage of 
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan people stood up and repulsed 
Chinese efforts to deny them their individuality and their rights. We 
celebrate Tibetan National Day to pay tribute to their brave crusade.

[[Page E393]]

  The uprising of March 10, 1959, was crushed by China's immense 
military might. The Beijing authorities promptly instituted martial law 
and used armed soldiers in their brutal effort to suppress the Tibetan 
people. The Dalai Lama was forced to flee to India in order to preserve 
his own life, and some 120,000 Tibetans joined him in exile. The 
government of India has graciously permitted the Tibetan people and His 
Holiness to remain in India.
  Chinese guns and tanks, however, could not destroy the indomitable 
spirit of the Tibetan people. Guided by the moral strength of the Dalai 
Lama, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his peaceful 
effort to resolve the conflict over Tibet, knowledge of the tragedy of 
the Tibetan people has spread from the Himalayan foothills to the 
consciousness of the international community.
  China's heavy-handed brutality continues to this day. Buddhist monks 
and nuns as well as others who value and seek to preserve Tibet's 
unique cultural and historical heritage have suffered imprisonment, 
torture, and constant abuse at the hands of Beijing authorities. All 
signs of Tibet's pre-1959 existence, from its religion to its 
architecture to its music, have been targets for Chinese officials 
seeking systematically to destroy every vestige of Tibet's identity.
  Mr. Speaker, our American democratic and pluralistic heritage and our 
principled views on religious tolerance and cultural diversity mandate 
that we stand firmly against these outrageous crime against 
international law and human decency.
  The Chinese Government has marked the 40th Tibetan National Day by 
continuing its decades-long strategy of spewing deceitful propaganda 
about the Dalai Lama and his followers. the chairman of the so-called 
``People's Congress of Tibet'' declared that the Dalai Lama ``is the 
chief representative of the feudal serf system,'' and that ``under his 
rule, the Tibetan people were reduced to animal status.'' The overseas 
edition of the official People's Daily accused the Dalai Lama of 
attempting ``to stir up riots and terrorist activities.''
  In stark contrast with these Chinese absurdities, the Dalai Lama has 
expressed a genuine desire to achieve a just and fair resolution of the 
Tibetan issue. His Five Point Peace Plan--one of the principal reasons 
for which he received the Nobel Peace Prize--reflects a thoughtful and 
reasoned position in his quest for a peaceful settlement. As his 
Holiness stated ten years ago in his Nobel acceptance speech in Oslo, 
his sole desire is that his homeland to become ``a sanctuary of peace 
and non-violence where human beings and nature can live in peace and 
harmony.'' The Dalai Lama is not asking too much.
  I invite my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to join me in urging Chinese 
authorities to take a more reasonable and more forthcoming position in 
dealing with representatives of His Holiness. It is time to make a 
serious effort to bring peace, justice, and religious freedom to the 
Tibetan people so that the Tibetans have the opportunity to preserve 
and perpetuate their unique culture.
  Mr. Speaker, this 40th anniversary is a sorrowful event, an occasion 
that we mark in sadness and regret. But we also mark this event with 
rejoicing that, despite four decades of brutal repression, the people 
of Tibetan continue their struggle. The Chinese have not succeeded. 
Growing legions of friends of Tibet around the world join them in their 
fight. This anniversary reminds us that the struggle will be long, but 
it also reminds us that ultimately it will be successful.

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