[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 51 (Wednesday, April 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2337-S2338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          REPRESSION IN TIBET

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to speak about 
the situation in Tibet, which has captured the world's attention in 
recent days and weeks.
  For those of us who have visited Tibet, as I did in 1988, and for 
millions of people here and abroad, the press reports of Chinese police 
officers arresting and beating Tibetan protesters, and of Tibetans 
destroying the property of Han Chinese, are deplorable.
  Estimates of the number of protesters killed have ranged from 13 to 
140, and more than 1,000 arrested. Knowing the way Tibetans have been 
tortured and mistreated in Chinese prisons, we should be very concerned 
with the welfare of those in custody.
  More than a dozen Han Chinese were reportedly killed and their 
businesses ransacked and burned. Violent attacks against civilians and 
their property cannot be justified, even when they may be prompted by 
longstanding, legitimate grievances.
  For many years, the Chinese Government has been systematically 
implementing a strategy to destroy Tibetan culture and solidify its 
control of Tibet.
  A flood of Han Chinese into Tibet has fueled an economic boom, but 
this has also exacerbated tensions between Chinese business owners and 
the Tibetans who have become increasingly marginalized and 
discriminated against in their own homeland.
  When first asked about the recent violence, Chinese authorities in 
Beijing and Lhasa insisted that only a handful of agitators were 
involved and there was no cause for concern.
  Then, as photographs were posted on the internet of Tibetans being 
chased and beaten bloody by baton-wielding, helmeted riot police, the 
Chinese Government blocked access for journalists and blamed the Dalai 
Lama for instigating the violence to sabotage the Beijing Olympics.
  Many of us have had the privilege of meeting the Dalai Lama. I 
consider him a friend, and last week I spoke by telephone with one of 
his advisors, Lodi Ghari, who was in India at the time. It is 
outrageous to suggest that the Dalai Lama has encouraged violence in 
Tibet.
  For decades, the Dalai Lama has shown remarkable tolerance and 
patience as he has sought a peaceful resolution of the conflict over 
Tibet's political status. He has repeatedly extended a hand of 
friendship to the Chinese Government, which has consistently responded 
by denigrating and misrepresenting the Dalai Lama's views.
  I would like to hope that this latest outbreak of violence will cause 
the Chinese Government to recognize that a strategy of repression in 
Tibet will only provoke further tensions and violence. Brute force is 
not a solution. Ethnic cleansing is not a solution.
  Several things should be done immediately.
  The Chinese Government should distinguish between peaceful protestors 
and rioters, and reaffirm that it will uphold the Chinese 
Constitution's protections of free speech and association.
  It should end its lockdown on Tibetan areas, including allowing full 
access by the media, and account for those who are missing and dead 
from the protests.
  There should be a full accounting of each Tibetan who has been 
arrested or charged with a crime, including names, charges if any, and 
the location where they are being detained. The International Red Cross 
should have access to monitor their treatment.
  The only way to resolve this conflict is through dialogue conducted 
in good faith. It is long past time for Chinese authorities to 
recognize that it has nothing to fear from the Tibetan people if they 
respect the Tibetans' cultural identity.
  There has been much talk and speculation about what these events 
could mean for the Beijing Olympics.
  I am not among those who believe the Olympic Games should be a 
political issue. The Olympics should be about the athletes, not about 
governments.
  If some countries boycott these Olympics for one reason, other 
countries will feel justified in boycotting other Olympics for 
different reasons. The future of the Olympic Games would be in 
jeopardy.
  That said, the Chinese Government obviously sees the Olympics as an 
opportunity to showcase China as a modern, harmonious country. The 
Chinese Government's actions in Tibet, and its continuing crackdown on 
dissidents who call for more political freedom, starkly contradict this 
image.
  Apparently, neither the Olympic Committee nor the White House 
impressed upon the Chinese authorities that if the Olympics were to be 
a success, there needs to be a marked improvement in China's respect 
for human rights. That message should be conveyed clearly, vigorously, 
and immediately. It is not acceptable for President Bush to simply say 
he plans to attend the Olympics as a ``sports fan.''

  I have long criticized the Chinese Government's violations of human 
rights.
  Its detention and trial on trumped up charges of dissidents who dare 
to criticize official corruption and repression.
  Its use of excessive force in Tibet.
  Its support for the Government of Sudan, even while that government 
was committing genocide in Darfur.
  Its torture of prisoners and summary executions after unfair trials.
  I, with former Senator Jeffords, and then Representative Sanders, 
worked for 6 years to secure the release from a Chinese prison of 
Ngawang Choepel, a young Tibetan whose only crime was to use a video 
camera to record Tibetan music and dance. He posed no threat to China's 
security. His arrest, his trial, and his imprisonment were a travesty.
  Just last week, China convicted a human rights activist named Hu Jia 
of ``inciting subversion'' through his writings on the internet. His 
crime was to advocate for better protection for people with AIDS, for 
more religious freedom, and for increased autonomy for Tibet.
  His case is another reminder that when it comes to human rights, 
little has changed in China. The Chinese Government insists that China 
is a country of laws and that his case was dealt with according to the 
law. That is reminiscent of those who once defended slavery because it 
was lawful at the time. As long as the Chinese Government criminalizes 
speech, it will face the criticism of the international community.
  Criticizing the Chinese Government is not the same as isolating 
China, which I have never believed is an option. I have visited China 
several times and have always favored more engagement with China. We 
should be encouraging closer relations.

[[Page S2338]]

  I have worked to increase funding for professional, educational, and 
cultural exchanges, and for programs focusing on environmental 
protection and the rule of law. I have seen the benefits to American 
and Chinese students who participate in these programs, including from 
the Vermont Law School.
  China has an extraordinary history and culture. Its people have 
suffered many hardships, including devastating wars and famines. Many 
still toil from dawn until dusk to survive, but China has made 
extraordinary progress in the 30 years since my first trip there.
  The Chinese people want the best for their families and their 
country, as Americans do. They also want a government that is less 
corrupt and more open and accountable.
  China wants to be treated like a great power, but the Chinese 
Government cannot expect to be respected as a world leader just because 
of China's large population and its economic and military prowess. Not 
as long as it crushes peaceful dissent and, in Tibet, destroys the 
culture of a unique people who are admired throughout the world.
  Other governments of countries where Tibetans have rallied peacefully 
in support of those back home should also stop the arrests and 
detentions and use of excessive force.
  This is particularly so in Nepal, where not long ago tens of 
thousands of Nepalese people took to the streets in demonstrations 
which led to the restoration of multi-party government. Those who are 
in power in Nepal today, because of the people's brave defiance of a 
corrupt, abusive king, should be respecting the Tibetans' rights of 
assembly, of association and expression.
  Speaker Pelosi, who visited the Dalai Lama recently, said it well 
when she called the crisis in Tibet a matter of conscience for the 
world.
  But just as I believe our collective conscience must be steadfast in 
support of the Tibetan people and their spiritual leader, so should we 
reaffirm that we recognize this is a conflict the Chinese and Tibetans 
must solve themselves.
  I believe a solution is possible that meets the needs and aspirations 
of both peoples. But after 6 years of talks that have achieved nothing, 
it is clear that a new approach is needed. Repression is not the 
answer. Confrontation is not the answer.
  There are creative, visionary people on both sides who can learn from 
these events and pursue a new way forward. Those of us half a world 
away who care about Tibet and China should encourage that.
  Unfortunately, rather than reach out directly to the Dalai Lama, the 
Chinese authorities are already tightening their control of Tibet. 
Apparently they have concluded that the lesson of this latest uprising 
is to increase the repression and claim that everything is back to 
normal.
  Their idea of what is ``normal'' in Tibet is not the answer. If that 
is the path they take, it is only a matter of time before the next 
eruption of violence. And in the meantime, China will further 
jeopardize the Olympics and do more damage to its international 
reputation.
  Nobody wants that. We want closer, cooperative relations with China.
  Mr. President, let us hope that years from now, the 29th Summer 
Olympic Games will be remembered not for the violent images of recent 
weeks, and not for a hardening of positions, but as the catalyst for a 
new political dialogue that brought about a lasting agreement on 
Tibet's future.

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