[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5808-S5809]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 365--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
   DETENTION OF TIBETAN POLITICAL PRISONERS BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE 
                       PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

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

                              S. Res. 365

       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.

  Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, today I am introducing a resolution 
with my colleague, Senator Bingaman, calling on the Chinese Government 
to release all Tibetan political prisoners. One individual of concern 
is the prominent religious leader Tenzen Delek.
  On April 7, 2002 Tenzen Delek and 3 other monks were arrested at 
their monastery. Subsequently, Tenzen was held incommunicado for 8 
months and sentenced to death with a two years suspension after a 
closed door trial. Tenzen Delek and Lobsang Dhondup were both convicted 
of inciting separatism. Lobsang Dhondup was sentenced to death and 
executed on January 26, 2003, only one month after the sentence was 
handed down. Given the arbitrary and political nature of China's 
judiciary, Tenzen Delek could be put to death at any time. It has been 
2 years since his April 7, 2002 arrest, and December 2004 will mark two 
years since he was sentenced to death.
  Tenzen Delek moved to a monastery at the young age of 7, and by early 
adulthood he was active on issues of culture and religion and a 
dedicated supporter of the Dalai Lama and his teachings. More than 
likely, his community work and societal influence left him subject to 
the suspicion of the Chinese government. It is this sort of peaceful 
protest of China's occupation of Tibet that has landed so many other 
Tibetans in jail.
  Mr. President, this resolution recognizes China's violation of 
internationally recognized human rights standards, and calls on the 
Chinese government to release Tenzen Delek and the

[[Page S5809]]

other Tibetans who remain in jail. Phuntsog Nyidron is a prominent 
Tibetan nun who was arrested in 1989 for her peaceful protest of the 
political situation and remained in jail for 14 years. Just this 
February she was freed after the House passed a similar resolution 
calling for her release. The International Campaign for Tibet estimates 
that there are 150 political prisoners in Tibet, and 75 percent of them 
are monks and nuns. Those unfortunate enough to find themselves in a 
Chinese prison are often subjected to physical and mental torture, and 
isolation. Many of them do not make it out of custody alive.
  Mr. President, I hope my colleagues will join me in cosponsoring this 
resolution. For more than 50 years the Tibetan people have struggled to 
preserve their 1,000 year old sovereign national identity. The Chinese 
occupation that began in 1949 brought with it the subjugation of the 
Tibetan people at the hand of the People's Liberation Army, destruction 
of thousands of monasteries and shrines, a prohibition against 
practicing the Buddhist faith and Chinese migration--all aimed at 
destroying Tibetan culture, language and religion. The United States 
must confront continued Chinese repression of the practice of all 
faiths in China, and this resolution does exactly that.

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