[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 8, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2048-H2058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CALLING ON THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA TO END ITS CRACKDOWN IN TIBET
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1077) calling on the Government of the People's
Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and enter into a
substantive dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to find a
negotiated solution that respects the distinctive language, culture,
religious identity, and fundamental freedoms of all Tibetans, and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1077
Whereas March 10, 2008, marked the 49th anniversary of a
historic uprising against Chinese rule over the Tibetan
people, which forced His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, to
escape into exile in India;
Whereas Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns in and around Lhasa
were blocked by Chinese authorities from staging peaceful
demonstrations on this anniversary date and were met with
excessive force by the Chinese authorities;
Whereas protests by Tibetans spread inside the Tibet
Autonomous Region and other Tibetan areas of China;
Whereas the accumulated grievances of almost six decades of
cultural, religious, economic, and linguistic repression of
the Tibetan people by the Government of the People's Republic
of China has resulted in resentments which are at the root of
the Tibetan protests;
Whereas resentment of the Chinese Government by the Tibetan
people has increased sharply since 2005 as a result of
Chinese policies, laws, and regulations that have reduced
economic opportunity for Tibetans and severely eroded the
ability of Tibetans to preserve their distinctive language,
culture, and religious identity;
Whereas the response by the Chinese Government to the
Tibetan protests was disproportionate and extreme, reportedly
resulting in the deaths of hundreds and the detention of
thousands of Tibetans;
Whereas there have been reports that some Tibetans engaged
in rioting that may have resulted in the destruction of
government and private property, as well as the deaths of
civilians;
Whereas His Holiness the Dalai Lama has used his leadership
to promote democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan
people through a negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue,
based on autonomy within the context of China;
Whereas six rounds of dialogue between representatives of
the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials have not resulted in
meaningful progress;
Whereas the Chinese Government has rebuffed calls by the
President of the United States, the United States Congress,
and world leaders to respond positively to the Dalai Lama's
willingness to be personally involved in discussions with
Chinese leaders on the future of Tibet;
Whereas the Chinese Government has denigrated the Dalai
Lama, labeling him as ``a splittist'' and ``a wolf in monk's
robes'', thereby further alienating Tibetans who consider the
Dalai Lama their spiritual leader;
Whereas the Dalai Lama was recognized for his contribution
to world peace when he received the Nobel Peace Prize in
1989;
Whereas the United States Congress, in recognition of the
Dalai Lama's outstanding moral and religious leadership and
his advocacy of nonviolence, awarded him with the
Congressional Gold Medal on October 17, 2007;
Whereas the Chinese Government has failed to honor its
commitment to improve the human rights situation in China as
a condition for Beijing being selected as the site for the
2008 Summer Olympic Games;
Whereas the Chinese Government has impeded the access of
international journalists to Tibetan areas of China and
distorted reports of events surrounding the Tibetan protests,
thereby violating the commitment it made that ``there will be
no restrictions on media reporting and movement of
journalists up to and including the Olympic Games'';
Whereas for many years, the Chinese Government has
restricted the ability of foreign journalists and foreign
government officials, including United States Government
officials, to freely travel in Tibetan areas of China,
thereby curtailing access to information on the situation in
Tibetan areas;
Whereas the Chinese Government's use of propaganda during
the protests to demonize Tibetans and incite ethnic
nationalism is exacerbating ethnic tensions and is
counterproductive to resolving the situation;
Whereas the United States Department of State included the
People's Republic of China among the group of countries
described as ``the most systematic violators of human
rights'' in the introduction of the 2006 Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices and in previous Human Rights Reports,
but did not do so in the 2007 Human Rights Report, despite no
evidence of significant improvements in the human rights
situation in China in the past year; and
Whereas it is the policy of the United States ``to support
the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their
distinct identity'' and ``to support economic development,
cultural preservation, health care, and education and
environmental sustainability for Tibetans inside Tibet'', in
accordance with the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C.
6901 note): Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
(1) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of
China to end its crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protestors
and its continuing cultural, religious, economic, and
linguistic repression inside Tibet;
(2) calls on the Chinese Government to begin a results-
based dialogue, without preconditions, directly with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama to address the legitimate grievances
of the Tibetan people and provide for a long-term solution
that respects the human rights and dignity of every Tibetan;
(3) calls on the Chinese Government to allow independent
international monitors and journalists, free and unfettered
access to the Tibet Autonomous Region and all other Tibetan
areas of China for the purpose of monitoring and documenting
events surrounding the Tibetan protests and to verify that
individuals injured receive adequate medical care;
(4) calls on the Chinese Government to immediately release
all Tibetans who are imprisoned for nonviolently expressing
opposition to Chinese Government policies in Tibet;
(5) calls on the United States Department of State to
publicly issue a statement reconsidering its decision not to
include the People's Republic of China among the group of
countries described as ``the world's most systematic human
rights violators'' in the introduction of the 2007 Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices; and
(6) calls on the United States Department of State to fully
implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (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 further 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 office in Lhasa.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
include
[[Page H2049]]
extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution and yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I would first like to thank our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi,
for introducing this important resolution. Speaker Pelosi's commitment
to human rights generally, and Tibetan human rights specifically, is
deep, well established, and unwavering.
For two decades in Congress, from her earlier stage as a junior
Member to her current position as Speaker, she has used her powerful
voice to speak on behalf of the Tibetan people. The bipartisan
delegation that she recently led to Dharmsala to meet with the Dalai
Lama and her authorship of this resolution demonstrate her continuing
dedication on the Tibetan issue. I am, and all of us in this body
should be, grateful for her leadership.
China's response to Tibetan protests over the last month has been
tragically predictable. For half a century, the Tibetan people have
struggled under the repressive policies of the Chinese authorities. And
sadly, the current crackdown is only the most recent example of
Beijing's mistreatment of Tibetans.
As the world watched events unfold inside China, we were sickened not
only by the shock of seeing images of Chinese authorities beating
Tibetans in the street, but also by the realization that these are
images that we have seen before, and fear we may see again.
It was this legacy of repression that caused Tibetan monks to take to
the streets on March 10th to peacefully protest Beijing's ongoing
denial of religious, cultural, and human rights for the Tibetan people.
And sadly, it was the same legacy that caused Beijing to respond with
excessive force and a propaganda campaign designed to stoke Chinese
nationalism by demonizing Tibetans and their spiritual leader, His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
If China wishes to be viewed by the world as a truly responsible
power, it must put an immediate end to its shortsighted policies
towards Tibet which are morally reprehensible, irresponsible and
dangerous.
Beijing cannot credibly claim that is seeks genuine reconciliation
with the Tibetan people when its policies force Buddhist monks to
denounce their allegiance to the Dalai Lama, deny educational and
economic opportunities to Tibetans, and threaten Tibetan culture by
encouraging an overwhelming influx of Han Chinese migrants into Tibetan
areas. This resolution not only condemns Beijing's crackdown on Tibetan
protesters, it also urges China to begin to move away from its policy
of repression and incitement of ethnic tensions.
The resolution calls on Beijing to allow international monitors to
assess the situation in Tibetan areas in China and ensure that those
injured in the protest receive adequate medical treatment.
In addition, the resolution urges Beijing to hold direct and results-
based discussions with the Dalai Lama in order to come to a resolution
of the Tibetan issue, one that respects Chinese territorial integrity
and sovereignty, but at the same time provides genuine religious and
cultural autonomy for Tibetans.
The resolution instructs the Department of State to reconsider its
decision not to include China among the countries with the worst human
rights records in the Department's 2007 Human Rights Report.
Madam Speaker, at this point, once again, I would like to thank
Speaker Pelosi for introducing this important resolution, which I
strongly support, and ask my colleagues to do the same.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of this
resolution which forcefully criticizes the current bloody crackdown
that is taking place in Tibet. This resolution also condemns Beijing's
almost six decades of suppression of the religious, linguistic,
economic, and cultural rights of the people of Tibet.
It was my great honor, Madam Speaker, to sponsor legislation which
resulted in the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest
honor that we can bestow in the United States Congress, to His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama, last October. My late friend and colleague
from across the aisle, Congressman Tom Lantos, and I worked together to
ensure that His Holiness received the official recognition that he so
richly deserves.
The Dalai Lama, who is also a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has won
the admiration of all of us, not only for his spiritual guidance, but
also for his principled stand upholding the human rights of the captive
people of Tibet.
Beijing's cynical and crass campaign to denigrate His Holiness both
inside and outside of Tibet has drawn the anger of both the Dalai
Lama's followers, as well as people of good will throughout the globe.
Beijing has called His Holiness ``a splittist'' and ``a wolf in monk's
clothing.'' The Chinese Embassy even recently sent out a computer link
to offices here on Capitol Hill ludicrously comparing His Holiness to
Nazis.
The people of Tibet can no longer silently bear these continued
insults directed at their spiritual leader, a man respected as an
advocate of peace, of compassion, and good will. A boiling point was
reached on March 10th, the anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet
and subsequent flight of the Dalai Lama into exile in India. When
demonstrators broke out in Lhasa, Beijing responded with an iron fist.
In implementing a bloody crackdown, Beijing ignored its past pledge to
the International Olympic Committee to improve the human rights
situation in China prior to this summer's Olympics. Chinese authorities
even denied foreign diplomats and journalists all access to Tibet.
With increasing numbers of American tourists traveling to Tibet every
year, the United States has a legitimate interest in having diplomatic
access to Tibet for consular services. But there should be no further
openings of more Chinese consulates in the United States until China
stops its repression of religious and ethnic minorities and stops
violating the fundamental human rights of its own citizens.
The crackdown continued until April 3, when Chinese troops fired into
a peaceful crowd of demonstrators outside a Tibetan temple in southwest
China. The crowd had been protesting the arrest of two monks who were
found in possession of photographs of the Dalai Lama. Eight were
killed, including members of the Buddhist clergy.
But the Chinese regime has not only been responsible for shedding
innocent Tibetan blood, in Darfur, in Burma, in North Korea, and inside
China itself, bloody repression continues unabated.
{time} 1930
This lack of liberty will further diminish the light of the Olympic
torch. The progression of that torch from London and Paris to San
Francisco has become a focal point for those who would raise their
voices concerning the immense human rights abuses of the Chinese
regime.
What has begun in Tibet will not stay in Tibet. Already there are
reports of unrest among the Uyghur minority as well. Beijing's
continued repression and denial of human rights will become the chief
focal point of international attention in the summer of the Beijing
Olympics. And, Madam Speaker, if the present repression continues, the
Beijing games will indeed become the ``Genocide Olympics.''
I urge all of my colleagues to join in vigorous approval and support
for this resolution.
With that, Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time, and I ask
unanimous consent that my good friend the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Smith) be allowed to manage the remainder of our time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes of
time to a member of the committee, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms.
Jackson-Lee).
(Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise
and extend her remarks.)
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished chairman and
[[Page H2050]]
as well the ranking member of the full committee, to the Speaker of the
House for her continued leadership. And I am always reminded of the
late Chairman Tom Lantos and his commitment to the people of Tibet.
Madam Speaker, I've had the honor and privilege of being with the
people of Tibet in their temples, listening to their plea, walking
alongside of them, admiring and respecting their tenacity,
determination, and their love of freedom and peace. As well, the Dalai
Lama has visited not only this community but also the State of Texas,
and we have had the pleasure of seeing him be a guiding force for
peace.
It is time now for this resolution and the call that it makes for the
People's Republic to shine the light on Tibet and give them the rights
of engagement and discussion because what we are facing are accumulated
grievances of almost six decades of cultural, religious, economic, and
linguistic repression of the Tibetan people by the Government of the
People's Republic of China. It has resulted in these resentments, and
it has resulted in this oppression in the expression of the Tibetan
people.
As this Olympic torch travels around the world, you will see the
people who are peace loving and loving human rights standing up. As it
comes to my city, as it goes to other cities, there will be those of us
who stand against it. In fact, we have called upon the Chinese
Ambassador to wake up and to recognize that the world is crying out for
justice for the Tibetan people.
The resolution calls on this particular government, the Chinese
Government, to begin a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, to bring about
respect, to allow international monitors and journalists. I truly
believe it is time now for the world to stand up.
And so to my colleagues, it is important that this resolution be
passed. I believe we should be in front of the Chinese Embassy here in
Washington, D.C., petitioning that government to hear the cry of the
Tibetan people, to respect the Dalai Lama, and to bring finally peace
and freedom and, yes, democracy to a peace-loving people. The
oppressors cannot oppress the oppressed forever, and we stand against
it. This resolution speaks to a resolution. We ask for the agreement.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong
support of H. Res. 1077, Calling on the Government of the People's
Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and enter into a
substantive dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to find a
negotiated solution that represents the distinctive language, culture,
religious identity, and fundamental freedoms of all Tibetans, and for
other purposes, introduced by my distinguished colleague from
California, Representative Nancy Pelosi. This important and timely
legislation calls for an imperative dialogue which will set forth the
road to peace and stability.
In recent days, the news has been littered with reports of human
rights abuses by the Chinese government regarding Tibetan dissent. As
we approach the 2008 Olympics that will be held in China, it is
imperative that we look into the reports of violations of basic human
rights by the Chinese government.
On March 4th, Tibetan monks began peaceful protests in the Tibetan
capitol, Lhasa, which escalated into violence resulting in a staunch
crackdown by the Chinese government, the effects of which have yet to
be seen as international media has been strictly restricted in the
area. What began as a peaceful protest for religious freedom and
autonomy has resulted in Beijing admittedly sending thousands of
paramilitary troops and police to the region in order to maintain
``peace and stability.''
March 14, 2008 marked the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan people's
historic uprising against the Chinese government that forced His
Holiness the Dalai Lama into exile in India, where he still resides.
When Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns attempted to assemble in peaceful
demonstration on this anniversary, they were met with excessive force
by Chinese authorities. Last month's riots in the Tibetan capitol of
Lhasa have once again drawn international interest to the plight of the
Tibetan people in their struggle for autonomy and religious freedom.
The Chinese government has reported that more than 1,000 people have
been captured or turned themselves in, in relation to their
participation in said riots.
Last week, Amnesty International released a report stating that
despite claims that hosting the Olympics will lead to Chinese
observance of international human rights law, the approach of this
historic event has actually lead to a crackdown of dissent on the part
of the Chinese government. Just one day after the release of Amnesty
International's report, Hu Jia, a Chinese activist who has publicized
human rights abuses across China, was sentenced to three and a half
years in prison for ``inciting subversion of state power and the
socialist system.''
I wish to discuss briefly the importance of the relationship between
the United States, China and Tibet and highlight some important
legislation that I have supported to provide assistance to the human
rights situation in Tibet. As we are well aware, controversy exists
over Tibet's current political status as a part of China. This
precarious relationship between China and Tibet has prompted U.S.
congressional actions in support of Tibet's status and traditions.
Tibet has been under active Beijing rule since between 1949-1951,
when the newly established communist government of the People's
Republic of China, PRC, sent military troops to occupy Tibet. It was
some years later, in 1959, that the Dalai Lama, who is still respected
and regarded as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, along with
his followers, fled from Tibet and went into exile in India.
As reports of human rights abuses and political activities surfaced
regarding China's continuing repressive social and political controls
in Tibet, it garnered more interest and congressional consideration in
the late 1980s. Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, is the
unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the Tibetan people. The
Dalai Lama has used his leadership to promote democracy, freedom, and
peace for the Tibetan people through a negotiated settlement of the
Tibet issue, based on autonomy within the People's Republic of China.
For his efforts on behalf of humanity, the Dalai Lama was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Most recently in 2006, I lent my support to
S. Res. 2784, awarding the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest
expression of national appreciation for exceptional service, to the
Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso. I appreciate his efforts to promote peace
and non-violence throughout the globe, and his efforts to find
democratic reconciliation for the Tibetan people through his ``Middle
Way'' approach. I am grateful for the extensive work that the Dalai
Lama has done for his country and on behalf of humanity.
Congress has taken a particular interest in the affairs of Tibet.
Beginning in 1987, Congress passed non-binding measures declaring that
the United States should make Tibet's situation a higher policy
priority and urged China to establish a constructive dialogue with the
Dalai Lama.
As a Member of Congress, I am interested in the welfare and human
rights affairs of the Tibetan people and have previously proposed an
amendment to provide $2 million in the Economic Support Fund for
monitoring the human rights situation in Tibet and for training and
education of Tibetans in democracy activities and an additional $2
million in the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the
Tibetan refugee program.
Madam Speaker, I am a staunch advocate for human rights and desire to
see the plight of the Tibetan people rectified. As such, I strongly
support H. Res. 1077 and call upon my colleagues to join me in
supporting this important legislation.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the coauthor of this
resolution who recently returned from Dharamsala, where he met with the
Dalai Lama.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and in solidarity
with the Tibetan people in this trying time. The recent events in Tibet
have captured the attention of this body and the American people. We as
Americans are both saddened and outraged by the Chinese Government's
crackdown on peaceful protests in Tibet.
This body must be clear in its support of fundamental human rights.
Tibetans deserve the right to preserve their culture, heritage,
language, and religion.
The Chinese Government has argued that this crackdown was in response
to violent protest by the Tibetan people. However, the government
dismissed outside journalists from the region and has restricted their
ability to accurately report on the situation. Meanwhile, Americans
traveling in China in recent weeks have revealed that their televisions
went black when the international media reported on Tibet.
This restriction of freedom is consistent with China's historically
abysmal human rights record. While it would be simpler to believe that
the Chinese Government's assertion that its crackdown was a just
response to violent protest, the very fact that
[[Page H2051]]
China has gone to such great lengths to control the flow of information
on the protests makes such an assertion a great stretch of credulity.
I had the honor of meeting with Tibet's spiritual leader and historic
head of state, the Dalai Lama, last month shortly after the protests
began. His Holiness made very clear his opposition to the acts of
violence taking place in Tibet. Since his exile 49 years ago, the Dalai
Lama has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution to the
tension between Tibet and China. If there is to be a real solution to
the problem, the Chinese Government must engage in dialogue with the
Dalai Lama with the intention of finding a lasting resolution for both
parties.
In the coming months, China will open its doors to the world and show
its best face. We've heard a lot in this country recently about
transparency, and this body responded by implementing greater
transparency in our government. Now is the time for China to take
responsibility for its actions and implement heightened transparency to
the world community on the situation in Tibet and on the conduct of its
own government.
The stage is set for China to demonstrate a newfound commitment to
human rights and peace. This institution and the world are watching
expectantly. Let us hope that the Chinese Government receives the
message loud and clear that all pressures remain on the table in
protecting the rights of the Tibetan people.
Madam Speaker, the Tibetan people have waited 49 years for their
freedom. Their patience is wearing thin. If China wishes to be
considered an equal among the leaders of the world, it must act like
one by standing for basic human rights in Tibet.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to a
member of our committee, a stalwart fighter for human rights, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank our Speaker for
her unyielding stand regarding China's human rights record in Tibet and
its association with the genocidal government of the Sudan.
This resolution calls on China to end its crackdown on nonviolent
protestors in Tibet and to talk with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to
address the very legitimate grievances of the Tibetan people. It sends
a clear message to China that the United States does not condone
violence and repression against the Tibetan people.
This resolution is also timely as the Olympic torch will make its
only stop in North America tomorrow when it comes to the Speaker's
district in San Francisco, California, right across the bay from my
home district.
As host of the Olympic games, China is facing calls to live up to the
Olympic spirit of peace and brotherhood and sisterhood that the torch
represents. China's actions in Tibet and its ongoing support for the
genocidal regime in Sudan run contrary to that Olympic spirit.
Madam Speaker, China must play by the rules when it comes to human
rights and to genocide. Now is the time to begin this dialogue with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. There are legitimate grievances of the Tibetan
people which must be addressed, and who better to have this dialogue
with than His Holiness the Dalai Lama?
I want to thank the Speaker for really carrying the torch for freedom
and human rights and dignity of the Tibetan people. This resolution
heeds the call of the international community and puts this body on the
right side of history.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
distinguished gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
Mr. SHAYS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1077, introduced by our
Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, calling on the Government of China to end its
crackdown in Tibet and to enter into a substantive dialogue with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The recent violence in Tibet, which was triggered by the Buddhist
monks asking for religious freedoms, should be a great concern to
everyone concerned about human rights. China needs to end the violence
and engage in open and honest dialogue with the Dalai Lama to achieve
peace and reconciliation. China must come to realize that Tibetans
deserve more autonomy and the world community will not be silent until
they achieve it.
As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I am very
concerned about human rights in China but in particular the political
and religious freedoms of Tibetans. I urge the resolution's adoption
and appreciate this resolution coming to the floor.
Ms. LEE. Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin).
(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from
California will control the time.
There was no objection.
Mr. LEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution.
China has a law that includes protections for the distinctive
culture, language, and identity of ethnic minority citizens. Its
Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law guarantees ethnic minorities the ``right
to administer their internal affairs.'' More specifically, the term
``regional ethnic autonomy'' reflects ``the state's full respect for .
. . ethnic minorities' rights to administer their internal affairs.''
Madam Speaker, China in recent weeks has reflected anything but ``the
state's full respect'' of ethnic minority rights nor of basic human
rights recognized in both Chinese and international law.
Protest activity has included instances of rioting resulting in
destruction of property and death of Tibetans and non-Tibetans alike.
This is unacceptable in any context. But most protest activity, while
at times disorderly, has been nonviolent. The Chinese Government's
reaction, however, has revealed a level of hostility towards Tibetans
not seen in decades and has heightened fears for the Tibetan people.
The Chinese Government would do well to consider a number of concrete
steps to address the current crisis, and I would ask, Madam Speaker,
that a list of such steps prepared by the staff of the Congressional-
Executive Commission on China be submitted for the Record.
Addendum to Floor Statement of Representative Sander Levin, Chairman,
Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Addressing Tibetan Protests
1. Distinguish between peaceful protestors and rioters,
honor the Chinese Constitution's reference to the freedoms of
speech and association, and do not treat peaceful protest as
a crime;
2. Provide a detailed account of Tibetan protest activity
in each location where such activity took place;
3. Provide details about each person detained or charged
with a crime, including each person's name, the charges (if
any) against each person, the name and location of the
prosecuting office (``procuratorate'') and court handling
each case, and the name of each facility where a person is
detained or imprisoned;
4. Allow access by diplomats and other international
observers to the trials of people charged with protest-
related crimes;
5. Allow international observers and journalists immediate
and unfettered access to Tibetan areas of China;
6. Ensure that security officials fulfill their obligations
under Articles 64(2) and 71(2) of China's Criminal Procedure
Law to inform relatives and work places (monasteries in the
case of monks) where detainees are being held;
7. Encourage and facilitate the filing of compensation
suits under Chinese law in cases of alleged wrongful arrest,
detention, punishment and other official abuses during the
recent protests;
8. Permit international observers to monitor closely the
implementation of China's new Regulation on Open Government
Information, which comes into force on May 1, 2008, with
special emphasis on implementation in Tibetan areas.
9. Strictly enforce the Regulations on Reporting Activities
in China by Foreign Journalists During the Beijing Olympic
Games and the Preparatory Period, with special emphasis on
access to and in Tibetan areas of China.
10. Commence direct talks between the Chinese government
and the Dalai Lama.
The commission monitors and reports on human rights and rule of law
developments in China on an ongoing basis, and I encourage all to visit
the commission's Web site, www.cecc.gov, to subscribe to the online
newsletter and to use the commission's work to remain up to date on
developments in China.
The resolution of Tibetan grievances can only occur with direct talks
between the Chinese Government and the
[[Page H2052]]
Dalai Lama. The international spotlight will remain long after the
ceremonies of the Olympic Summer Games. As China plays an increasingly
important role in the international community, other countries will
appropriately assess China's fulfillment of the commitments it has made
in both Chinese and international law, including legal and
constitutional commitments to ethnic minorities.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas, an esteemed member of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs (Mr. Poe).
Mr. POE. I thank the gentleman for yielding time.
Madam Speaker, Tibet is being denied the basic human rights of
freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the freedom to seek
grievances against its own government.
China, the bully of Asia, literally is beating up on the small
religious Tibetan community. China puts down dissent by the use of the
bloody club and the firearm. And China suppresses the world press that
tries to report on what they are doing by issuing scripted propaganda
papers about these peaceful Tibetan people, propaganda that we have not
seen since Hitler's Nazi Germany.
China's ugly personality of brutality and oppression is now being
seen by all of the world. And as China tries to carry the Olympic torch
throughout the world, the flame of the torch is setting peoples in this
world on fire in support of the people of Tibet.
{time} 1945
So China must cease its oppression of its own people or face
international rebuke and international condemnation, including
condemnation by this body.
I support the people of Tibet, and I urge passage of this resolution.
And I want to thank the chairman for bringing this resolution so
quickly to the House floor.
Ms. LEE. I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr.
Holt) who is a member of the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence.
Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
I am pleased to join the Speaker of the House today as an original
cosponsor of this important legislation to address the rights of the
people of Tibet. Across the globe, people are speaking out in support
of the people of Tibet. And today, Congress is making a strong
statement. And no one outside Tibet has been more clear and more
eloquent than the Speaker of the House.
I recently had the honor to join the Speaker as a member of a
congressional delegation to India. We were with the spiritual leader,
the Dalai Lama, and we saw and heard thousands of Tibetan refugees
cheering America, I'm pleased to say, but pleading and pleading with us
not to forget Tibet.
Tibet has been under the heavy hand of China for almost five decades,
and the situation has deteriorated with China brutally suppressing
Tibetans and systematically and relentlessly eradicating Tibetan
culture. Our delegation was moved to see and hear the pleadings of
Tibetans of all ages who have braved Himalayan crossings to escape
oppression, some weeks ago, some years ago. And the Dalai Lama gives
them hope and calls on the world not to forget those who have fled and
those who are left in Tibet. And we, too, should give them hope.
I have in my office a crayon-drawn Tibetan flag given to me during
our delegation's visit to the Tibetan Children's Village, and I keep
this flag in my office because it reminds me of the human toll of the
situation. Children and adults flee the villages of Tibet and cross the
highest range of mountains in the world to reach the promise of a life
where they can preserve their culture and have freedom. The journey is
treacherous, but children try to escape the oppression in Tibet.
I am pleased that all the members of this important trip joined the
Speaker in introducing this resolution. Both Democrats and Republicans
agree that the Chinese Government needs to end the violent crackdown on
nonviolent Tibetan protesters. Furthermore, it is long past time for
the Chinese Government to begin, without preconditions, a dialogue with
His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and ensure that human rights and dignity
of all Tibetans are protected, to address the legitimate grievances of
the Tibetan people, to safeguard the people and their distinctive
identity, to support economic development, cultural preservation,
health care, education and environmental sustainability.
This important resolution reminds the world and China of our
commitment to the people of Tibet.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).
Mr. McCOTTER. Madam Speaker, we stand at a historic moment. In the
stream of history, it is oftentimes overlooked as we circumnavigate
around time, fate and circumstance the momentous era and the momentous
deeds which must be undertaken. This is one of them.
I thank the Speaker for bringing this resolution. I thank her for
bringing with it the moral weight of her opposition to Communist
China's abysmal human rights record throughout her career in this
Congress, and for uniting Republicans and Democrats behind it.
But at this moment, I am also reminded of someone who is no longer
with us, someone from whom I learned very much. That man is the late
Chairman Tom Lantos, a man who embodied the human spirit in its ability
to triumph over evil. How many people in this Congress understood the
moment when the tanks rolled into Budapest and the Soviets went into
Hungary, that that was a seminal moment in the Cold War, that the
desire to breathe free, of the Hungarian people, could not be quelled
by tanks and could only be quenched by freedom? And throughout the
history of the Cold War, their example was emulated by others,
including the Czechs in 1968, and of course the Poles, and that
eventually brought down the Soviet Union.
Today, what may appear a resolution of the moment for a specific
incident is not that. It is our generation's Budapest. It is this
generation of Americans who get to witness the Tibetans trying to
breathe free from beneath the Communist yoke of the Chinese regime. And
as we Republicans and Democrats stand together today, we stand with
them, and we send a clarion message to the Communist Chinese
Government. They will be free. And as the Olympic torch goes from town
to town and you see people gathering together of all political
persuasions and all walks of life to protest the abominable suppression
of the Tibetans, let us remember that we here have come together to
make sure that the torch of Lady Liberty still shines bright as a
beacon of hope for all the world.
Ms. LEE. I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California, a
member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Congresswoman Hilda
Solis.
Ms. SOLIS. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening in strong support of
House Resolution 1077.
At the end of March, I traveled to India with Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and a congressional delegation and met with the leader of Tibet, His
Holiness, the Dalai Lama. We met young Tibetan children in India and
saw hope in their eyes for a better future. We were greeted by many
thousands and thousands of Tibetans along the road as we traveled up
the mountain where they lived. Yet we heard stories of violence and
torture inflicted by the Chinese Government on the Tibetan people and
protesters. We learned of recent Chinese policies and laws that have
limited the economic opportunities for Tibetans in China and severely
endangered the Tibetan culture, religion and their language, in fact,
their whole being.
Tibetans have fled to India to be able to practice their religion in
peace and preserve their culture with dignity and respect. The Dalai
Lama spoke to us about his desire for peace and his longing to live
autonomously, not independent of, but autonomously in China so that
Tibetans could practice their religion openly.
I, too, share his desire. House Resolution 1077 calls on China to end
its repression inside Tibet, release prisoners who participated in
nonviolent protest, and to begin a dialogue, a true dialogue with the
Dalai Lama to find a solution for Tibet that respects human rights. The
resolution calls for access for journalists so that the world can see,
hear and view the situation in Tibet.
The Tibetan people are at a critical point in their movement to live
peacefully and autonomously. We must
[[Page H2053]]
stand with them. We must also be a beacon of hope for them and for
those thousands of children that we saw at the orphanage there. They
greeted us with hearts open to us with flags both representing the U.S.
Government and the Tibetan people.
I stand here, Members, strongly supportive of House Resolution 1077
and ask you to join with us and the Speaker of the House for its swift
passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Again, without objection, the gentleman from
California regains control of the time.
There was no objection.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining
on both sides.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. There are 5\1/2\ minutes remaining for the
gentleman from California. There are 6\1/2\ minutes remaining for the
gentleman from New Jersey.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Inslee).
Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, due to the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, we
were able to experience a profound and moving time in Dharamsala,
India, 2 weeks ago, and it was profound for two reasons. One, when you
talk to a Buddhist monk who has walked for 5 days through the Himalayan
mountains to escape suppression and obtain some modicum of religious
liberty, it would move the hardest of hearts. And we talked to monks
who had that experience, monks who couldn't even show a little
medallion with a picture of the Dalai Lama on their chest without
having to go to jail in Tibet under the control of the Chinese
Government. It was profound in that sense, but it was profound in
meeting the Dalai Lama, as well, a person of great humor, great grace,
great courage and great nonviolence. And he has asked for an
investigation of what has gone on in Tibet, to quash what the Chinese
Government has been saying about him, saying that he has instigated
this violence. Anyone who makes that claim couldn't distinguish between
Mahatma Gandhi and Che Guevara.
And I take great umbrage at this assertion that somehow he has been
the reason for violence. His position has been reasonable. He has asked
for a dialogue with the Chinese Government. He has asked for an
investigation to what happened in Tibet. He has not called for a
boycott of the Olympics, an extremely reasonable position given what
his people have undergone.
His aspirations for China I think should be the world's, that as
China grows into a great economic power, let it seek to be a great
power in the sense of morality and humanity. My district has a growing
relationship with China selling jets, software and agricultural
products. And we like to see the economic potential of China. But that
has to be married, to become a great nation, with a commitment to
humanity, morality and religious freedom. This is consistent not only
with America's core values, but international values in the Olympic
spirit. We hope we move in that direction.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, at this time, may I ask unanimous consent
that we be granted an additional 10 minutes, 5 minutes for the
majority, 5 minutes for the minority, on the time already allotted for
this resolution debate.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Steve Kagen.
Mr. KAGEN. Madam Speaker, what kind of nation would we be if we
wouldn't stand up to speak out in favor of liberty everywhere in the
world?
It was on January 6, 1941, right here in this chamber that President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt enunciated and outlined for us the four
essential human freedoms, freedoms that this Nation fought several
world wars for and won. Freedom of speech everywhere in the world,
freedom from fear, freedom from want, and freedom to worship God
everywhere in the world.
The people of Tibet tonight must hear that we, the people of these
United States, are on their side. And we encourage the current
leadership of China to support these four essential human freedoms
everywhere in the world.
Madam Speaker, very shortly, there will be some Olympic games held in
China, Olympic games and Olympic spirit, based upon fair competition,
fair and open competition on a level playing field. Isn't it time, we
might also ask, that China begins to compete with us on a fair and
level playing field, and in particular with regard to Paper Valley in
which I live in Wisconsin, isn't it time that they stopped dumping
illegal paper into our domestic marketplaces?
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution because we
must support these four essential human freedoms everywhere in the
world.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
First of all, I want to thank Speaker Pelosi for introducing this
very important resolution of which I am very proud to be one of the
cosponsors, and especially for the trip, along with other Members of
the House, that you led to India to be at the side of His Holiness, the
Dalai Lama, in this hour of terrible suffering for the Tibetan people.
Madam Speaker, tonight we are here to speak frankly about what the
Chinese Government is doing in Tibet. Last week, Lodi Gyari, His
Holiness' Special Envoy, told me and others on the Congressional Human
Rights Caucus that Tibet has ``become, particularly in the last few
weeks, in every sense an occupied nation, brutally occupied by armed
forces.''
Madam Speaker, despite the fact that there is an extensive news
blackout, the grim consequences have gotten out.
{time} 2000
Chinese soldiers and police have shot large numbers of people. The
death toll is now well over 150. We don't have any idea how many have
been wounded, how many are right now lying, wounded or dying, in attics
and cellars, because they know that if they go to the hospital, they
will simply disappear into the Chinese Laogai.
The Chinese Government has been subjecting Tibetans to mass arrests.
They have searched whole sections of cities, house by house. Chinese
officials admit to nearly 2,000 arrests. The China Commission estimates
that there are at least 1,000 more. Frankly, I wonder if there might be
thousands more, since there are large areas of Tibet from which nothing
has been heard in weeks, where phone lines and cell towers and e-mail
have been simply turned off.
Many thousands of monks are now being held under house arrest or in
lockdown. Chinese riot police have surrounded some Buddhist monasteries
and are letting no one get in and no one get out. Many have been
tortured. I would remind my colleagues that we are seeing now, in a
massive way, what has been ongoing and pervasive for decades.
I chaired a hearing in 1995, Madam Speaker. We heard from six
survivors of the Laogai. One of those was Palden Gyatso, a Tibetan monk
who spent 24 years in prison. When we invited him to come and speak, he
brought with him some instruments of torture that are routinely
employed and used in a horrific manner against men and women in the
Chinese concentration camps. He told us that many people die of
starvation. But when he brought those instruments, he couldn't even get
past our Capitol Police. They stopped him. We had to come down and get
him through.
Then, when he held up those batons that are used in the mouth and
elsewhere in order to provide electric shocks, he actually broke down.
He held it up and he said, ``This is what went into my mouth as a
Buddhist monk and into the mouths of many other people to shock and to
deface,'' and he has trouble swallowing to this day.
He talked about these self-tightening handcuffs, and held up his
wrists and showed us the marks on his body, not just on his wrists, but
elsewhere. He talked about piercing with bayonets. And this is routine.
I would encourage Members to realize what goes on each and every day,
but now in a more pronounced way, in a more massive way, against the
people of Tibet, through the use of torture.
The Chinese Government, Madam Speaker, what they are doing right now
is exactly what happened in some of the parts of the world ruled from
the Communists. Who can forget the Soviet invasion of Hungary, which
was still felt on the streets of Budapest in the 1980s, even though
that happened
[[Page H2054]]
back in 1956. Tibet is now a cruel place, not the people, but the
Chinese imposition of their crackdown.
Madam Speaker, it should be noted and emphasized that the Tibetan
people have not provoked the government into this newest wave of
repression. It is the Chinese Government that has provoked the Tibetan
people to protest, a protest that, perhaps because of the Buddhist
emphasis on peace, has been overwhelmingly peaceful.
As we all know, Tibet has been subjected to Chinese Communist tyranny
since 1951. Since 1959, the Chinese Government is responsible for the
deaths of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans--and that is a low
estimate. The current number of Tibetans living in China is now about
5.4 million people.
I think Members should realize too that there has also been--and the
Dalai Lama speaks about this when he speaks about his Five Points of
Engagement--this population transfer, where the entire culture is being
replaced by a Han Chinese culture. They are getting very good jobs. The
incentive has been given them by the Chinese Government, in order to
marginalize and decrease the Tibetan people, to make them more of a
minority in their own land. What we are talking about here is nothing
less than a planned destruction of a culture that has now gone to new
lows with this recent crackdown.
In fact, the Chinese Government's attitude toward Tibet can be seen
in these two insults by Zhang Qingli, the Secretary of the Chinese
Party of the Tibet Autonomous Region, who offered to the people these
words. He said, ``The Communist Party is like the parent to the Tibetan
people, and it is always considerate about what the children need.'' We
are talking about a very abusive parent here. He also said, ``The
Central Party Committee is the real Buddha for Tibetans.'' What a
sacrilege! What a sacrilege! What a violation of fundamental human
rights.
I will say only a couple words about the Olympics, Madam Speaker. The
IOC made a great mistake in allowing China to host the Olympics. Who
can forget when they were vying for the 2000 Olympics and they let Wei
Jingsheng out. Speaker Pelosi knows him very well. I met him in Beijing
when he was let out, very briefly. As soon as they didn't get the
Olympics, they rearrested him and beat him and tortured him. They
finally let him out because he was close to death. But then the IOC
awarded the Olympic venue to Beijing several years later.
They shouldn't be held in a nation that cracks down on all kinds of
political dissent and has a system of coercion where brothers and
sisters are illegal as part of its one-child-per-couple policy, its
forced abortion policy, and also a country that is responsible for
killing so many Africans. The most recent is happening in Darfur. This
really is, as my colleague Ms. Lee said earlier, the ``genocide
Olympics.''
That repression and those killing fields are ongoing today in Darfur.
As we all know, some 4 million people died in Southern Sudan even
before that, and it was the Chinese who enabled those killing fields as
well.
Finally, let me just say briefly to my colleagues that there are
American companies who may be supporting this tyranny. I am afraid some
of them are doing that, playing smaller or larger roles in the crushing
of Tibet, working with the Chinese Internet Surveillance Bureau to
block Web sites and blocking and tracking down Tibetans who send
Internet reports of arrests and massacres.
The New York Times has reported that the Chinese Government is
indeed, and not unexpectedly, blocking Web sites to prevent uncensored
news from reaching the Chinese people, including the Web sites of CNN,
BBC, YouTube, Google and Yahoo.
The Times has also reported that the Chinese Internet Surveillance
Bureau has warned Tibetans about sharing factual news about the
protests. They have said, and I quote them, this is the Chinese Bureau,
``We inform Internet users that it is forbidden to post news about
Tibet events . . . The Internet Surveillance Bureau will carry out
filtering and censorship . . . Anyone infringing this ban will have
their IP addresses sent to the police, who will then take the necessary
steps.'' That means, Madam Speaker, arrests; that means, Madam Speaker,
torture of those who simply try to share the truth as to what is going
on in Tibet.
Who can forget Shi Tao, the journalist who got 10 years simply for
sending information to an NGO in New York about what the Chinese Bureau
of Propaganda had told them they could not do with regard to the
Tiananmen Square massacre? Now it is going on in Tibet, and the ugly
cycle continues.
As I think Members know, the Global Online Freedom Act legislation,
which is pending and hopefully will come to the floor, would finally
give us a full and thorough accounting as to this complicity, whether
it be witting or unwitting, on the part of these Internet companies, so
that we are not part of this tyrannical regime that is now so brutally
suppressing, murdering and torturing Tibetan people and putting so many
monks into prison, rather than letting them be in their monasteries,
where they want to practice their faith.
Madam Speaker, this is an excellent resolution you have brought to
the floor. I congratulate you. This is bipartisanship, I believe, at
its best. We are all in support of the Dalai Lama. You have led on this
for so many years, and are doing so now as Speaker, and I hope we get
very strong support for this, on behalf of the Tibetan people and on
behalf of the Dalai Lama.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the
gentlewoman from California, the author of the resolution, the Speaker
of the House of Representatives (Ms. Pelosi).
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I
thank him for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the
committee, for their leadership in bringing this resolution to the
floor. It isn't without a tear in the eye that we bring this to the
floor and remember our colleague, Congressman Tom Lantos, and how
important this resolution would have been to him.
Twenty years ago when I was a new Member of Congress, Tom invited
some of us to a meeting that I will never forget. It was with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama. At that time he presented to us his proposal
for autonomy for Tibet. That is over 20 years ago he has been preaching
autonomy, and it is on that basis that we wanted him to have the
opportunity to have full negotiations with the Chinese Government. They
had said if he doesn't reject the idea of independence, that cannot
happen. Well, he rejected independence 20 years ago, much to the dismay
of those who want independence.
But, in any event, Tom Lantos opened the door for many of us to meet
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Twenty years later, in the Capitol of
the United States, under Tom's leadership and of that Congresswoman
Ros-Lehtinen, we were able to present to His Holiness the Congressional
Gold Medal, the highest honor that this body can bestow. I am proud to
say that President Bush stood there side-by-side with His Holiness
presenting our Congressional Gold Medal to him. No President before had
been so courageous, and I appreciate and am proud that President Bush
did that.
Following that, we talked about taking a trip to India to talk about
global warming, that our Energy Independence and Global Warming Task
Force, which Mr. Markey and Mr. Sensenbrenner, who spoke so eloquently
earlier, were in the lead on.
When we planned the trip, we had accepted His Holiness' invitation to
visit him in Dharamsala, without any thought that it would be at a
controversial time. As fate would have it, we made our plans in
December and January. When we got there in the middle of March, it was
following the crackdown in Tibet of the peaceful demonstrators in Lhasa
and in other parts of Tibet by the Chinese Government. It was stunning
really to see the reaction of the Chinese to the simple observance of
the 49th anniversary of the Dalai Lama being forced out of Tibet by the
Chinese. As the monks demonstrated and protested, the Chinese
government cracked down.
While we were there, it was interesting to hear that the Government
of China was saying that His Holiness was the instigator of violence in
China,
[[Page H2055]]
that he had the ``heart of a jackal'' and all kind of animal
references. We all love our animals, but they were not appropriate to
His Holiness. We all know His Holiness to be the personification of
nonviolence in the world, a bridge builder for peace and human
understanding, as we said in our presentation of the Congressional Gold
Medal to him.
So we thought it must be our fate, it must be our karma, that we
would be in Dharamsala at that time. As was indicated by some of our
colleagues, Mr. Inslee mentioned that some monks had traveled for 5
days over Himalayas to Dharamsala to tell us about the treatment they
had received.
Some of the people we met with, Mr. Smith, had been in prison for
many years in China. One woman who was in her eighties had been in
prison for over 25 years. We heard of the torture that was exacted upon
them as recently as a matter of days before we were there. So the
torture that you described that you heard about in your committee
continues to this day, and we very tearfully received that information
from the prisoners.
But the point is that in Tibet you are arrested and repressed for
what you believe; not even for acting upon your beliefs, but for what
you believe, and that is something that flies in the face of everything
we stand for as a country. That is why I was so pleased that the
President stood there and showed bipartisan spirit, Democrats and
Republicans coming together, as Mr. Smith mentioned. We have worked on
this issue for many years and in a very bipartisan way in terms of
China.
Another place where China has influence that Mr. Smith and Mr. Wolf
have been leaders has been in the Sudan. But for the Chinese's absolute
insistence that they will not sanction the Sudan at the U.N., we could
perhaps have an improvement in the human rights situation and the
political situation in the Sudan.
Many of us took a trip, many Members have been there, I led a
delegation there with Mr. Clyburn to Darfur a couple of years ago and
we saw firsthand the genocide that was going on there. It was horrible
to see. We went to several camps. In one camp, 100,000 refugees were
there. We saw the little children. The tiny ones really still had some
brightness in their eyes. The older ones, they had seen too much.
In this camp, in the evening when it would be cool, if the father
went out to get firewood, he would be killed. If the mother went out,
she could be raped. In any event, the children could be kidnapped. They
had been displaced from their villages with compliance of the
Government of Sudan.
{time} 2015
All we need is strong international leadership to end that situation.
China stands in the way. When we are talking about Tibet and when we
are talking about the Olympics and we are talking about Tibet, we have
to remember Burma as well and the house arrest also for all these many
years.
We have to remember what is happening in Darfur. I was reading in the
paper the other day as the torch was going through Paris that one of
the marchers, the carriers of the torch said that what was happening
with the protesters was very unpleasant. I thought, you think that's
unpleasant? Maybe you should be in the sub-human conditions that the
refugees are in Darfur. If you think that's unpleasant, maybe you
should be in a prison in Tibet for your faith and His Holiness, the
Dalai Lama.
You think that's unpleasant? Maybe you could still be in prison from
the Tiananmen Square massacre. Some people are still in prison from
that time.
Mr. Smith knows well the fight we had at the time because shortly
after, a couple of years after Tiananmen, we were still fighting for
the release of the prisoners of Tiananmen. We had about a $5 billion a
year trade deficit.
We thought that that would give us so much leverage with the Chinese
Government that surely if we threatened the most-favored nation status,
as it was called then, that they would yield and release these
prisoners because it meant $5 billion a year to them.
Well, we didn't win. We didn't prevail in that situation.
As I say, it was a Republican President and a Democratic President.
We didn't get any better policy from either of them when it came to
China. They told us that granting most-favored nation status, they
changed the name to permanent normal trade relations because it sounded
better, would, in fact, improve the political situation in China and
improve our trade relationship with China.
When these people are saying it's unpleasant, I think it's unpleasant
to think that a $5 billion a year trade deficit is now $5 billion a
week, $5 billion a week. That is a quarter of a trillion dollars a year
trade deficit with China.
Has it improved our trade relationship? I don't think so. Has it
improved the human rights situation in China? I don't think so.
Somewhere along the way we lost our way. We said at the time, some of
us, if you choose to ride this tiger that is China, only China will
decide when you can get off. China won the Olympics. Some of us
supported resolutions in opposition to that, but they won the Olympics.
I don't support a boycott of the Olympics. I think our athletes who
have trained should be able to go there and compete. I think it should
be treated as a sports event. Any time it tries to rise to the occasion
of harmony, one world, one dream, a unifying factor, that is where it
falls short, because the Chinese cannot on the one hand take the
political upside of the credibility given to them at any welcoming
ceremony and refuse to hear the other side of the political view that
they are unworthy of making that claim.
As we speak tonight as we are gathered here in this Chamber, in my
City of San Francisco human rights activists are preparing for the
torch to come through our city tomorrow, a city very committed to human
rights. I was very proud that yesterday they were able to display a
``One World, One Dream: Free Tibet'' banner across the Golden Gate
Bridge. It's just frightening to think of how they were able to
accomplish it, but they got their message across with, probably in my
view, the most beautiful backdrop in the world for all the world to
see.
Tomorrow, as the torch goes through the city, people will voice their
views on it. But, still tonight, Desmond Tutu is leading a prayer vigil
in San Francisco in protest of what is happening with that torch going
through.
Probably the most insulting of all, though, is that China insists
that the torch go through Tibet, that it go to Mount Everest and
through Tibet on its way back to Beijing. That's the biggest insult, I
think, of all. The world should not allow that to happen. What's right
about that?
When I was in Dharamsala, I had the privilege of addressing the crowd
gathered in the square. I said at the time that the situation in Tibet
challenges the conscience of the world. Indeed, the situation in Darfur
challenges the conscience of the world, two places where China can
change, make a difference. I also said that if we, the freedom-loving
people throughout the world do not stand up for human rights in China
and Tibet, then we lose all moral authority to talk about it any other
place in the world.
It is many years of activism on this subject, and lots of
documentation, but, as Mr. Smith mentioned, we know so many of the
people firsthand, such as Harry Wu, who had been imprisoned. Why this
is important tonight is because what the Chinese did, the most
excruciating form of torture that an oppressor can exact on a political
prisoner is to say to him or her nobody even knows you are here. They
don't even care about you anymore. Society has passed this issue by.
It's no longer important. Your family is out there suffering, you are
here forgotten, but the world does not remember you.
Well, we are here tonight to say that the world does, a continuation
of the work that Mr. Smith has referenced and others have referenced
tonight about our calling to the attention of the world the names, the
actual names of people who have been imprisoned for their beliefs,
their religious beliefs, their political beliefs. This the resolution
is very simple, and when we vote on it tomorrow, I hope we have an
overwhelming vote.
What it says to the Chinese Government, as they prepare for the
Olympics in harmony, ``One World, One Dream: Free Tibet,'' is that they
end the
[[Page H2056]]
crackdown in Tibet, that they enter into substantive dialogue directly
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, that they allow independent monitors,
journalists and others into Tibet and they also allow medical
personnel. As was mentioned, people who have been beaten by the Chinese
cannot receive medical assistance and they need that life-saving
attention. That's what we are talking about here.
As for the accusation that that jackal, His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
the instigator of violence in Tibet, started all of this, His Holiness
called for and our delegation in Dharamsala associated ourselves with
his call which was for an independent outside investigation as to how
that all started. If they are going to accuse him, then they must be
prepared to have an investigation to prove their point or to be proven
wrong.
When we were there, I just want to close by saying, because it was
very moving for us, when we got off the airplane and we were driving to
Dharamsala for miles and miles and miles and miles, and when we got to
Dharamsala to the center of town, we were greeted by many Tibetans
flying American flags. We take the pledge in the morning, and any time
we see the flag, it is an emotional experience for us. But to see these
people who have had to struggle so much for freedom pay homage to our
flag was quite a remarkable thing.
Here is one sign, which was my particular favorite. It said, ``Thank
you for everything you have done for us so far.'' But all the American
flags, the Tibetans flags, and, just again, it was a forest of flags
there.
Mr. Holt referenced the children, when we went to the children's
school, thousands of adorable children, many of them separated from
their families, because that's the only way they could be raised in a
Tibetan culture which is now restrained. Here are these children, they
drew, they had thousands of these. I brought many of them home, an
American flag on one side and on the other side a Tibetan flag, ``Free
Tibet, Free Tibet.'' It goes on, ``Long live His Holiness the Dalai
Lama.''
``Long live the friendship between the United States and Tibet,'' a
friendship that began when Franklin Roosevelt sent His Holiness, when
he was a very little boy, a watch. That watch had the rising of the
sun, the months of the year, the phases of the moon, and it did tell
time too. It was a very special fit, a gold watch. His Holiness has
said that he took that watch with him when he left Tibet, imagine, a
piece of America in that flight to freedom.
It is our wish that under the provisions of this legislation and the
voices being heard all over the world now that those negotiations will
take place between the Chinese Government and His Holiness the Dalai
Lama. I, like many, have asked about the opening ceremonies. You don't
want to boycott the Olympics, what about the opening ceremonies?
I think we should, since the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel,
has put that on the table, it should stay there. Our President should
hold back any decision about going to those opening ceremonies until he
sees what progress could be made, what leverage we could use to have
those negotiations take place so that before too long and while His
Holiness is still in good health he can return to Tibet and, indeed,
the Tibetan people in their autonomous state of Tibet can be free.
I am very proud of this resolution. I couldn't be prouder of all the
statements that were made this evening with all the passion and
interest and history that went with it. I think it is a tribute to His
Holiness, and I hope the vote tomorrow will be unequivocal about that.
I am certain it will. I also they think that it is a tribute to our
friend, Tom Lantos, who had been so faithful to this cause.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Smith.
Mr. BERMAN. Thank you, Madam Speaker, for those wonderful worlds, for
elevating this Chamber.
Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, in mid-March, the Chinese government
conducted a bloody crackdown, grossly violating the human rights of the
peaceful protestors in Tibet.
The protest by the Tibetans touched a nerve and rapidly spread beyond
the capital city of Lhasa into other areas of Tibet and around the
world. The peaceful protest drew a violent and disproportionate
reaction from the Chinese government who sought to tamp down the
Tibetan desire for autonomy and self-determination. Not only did the
Chinese government react with terrible force upon the protesters, the
authorities also tried to discredit the Dalai Lama and his movement for
a free Tibet.
The Dalai Lama is as determined and committed to nonviolence as he is
to seeing the emergence of a peaceful, prosperous, autonomous and self-
determined Tibet. The brutal crackdown that seeks to derail the
inevitable movement toward a free Tibet resulted in the deaths of more
than 100 Tibetans and caused a great deal of social upheaval.
While we live a safe distance away from the struggle, comfortably
ensconced in a liberal democratic society, we cannot act as though we
do not have a role to play to support the Dalai Lama. We do.
I am enormously grateful to Speaker Pelosi, who has offered this
House resolution which calls upon the Chinese to end this crackdown.
This violent reaction is shortsighted and unproductive and,
furthermore, it's not the long-term solution that respects the human
rights and dignity of every Tibetan.
Rather, the Chinese Government must enter into a serious, substantive
negotiation directly with the Dalai Lama and must allow independent
monitors into Tibet. Only then will we be on the path toward a solution
to this crisis. Furthermore, I join Speaker Pelosi and other supporters
of a free Tibet, to ask for the immediate release of all Tibetans who
were arrested for non-violent protest.
I am pleased this evening to express my support for the struggle
toward a free Tibet, and I would encourage all my colleagues to join me
by supporting this important House resolution.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House
Resolution 1077, calling on the Government of the People's Republic of
China to end its crackdown in Tibet. The resolution also calls for the
Chinese Government to enter into a substantive dialogue with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama to find a negotiated solution that respects the
distinctive language, culture, religious identity, and fundamental
freedoms of all Tibetans.
The Dalai Lama has stated his willingness to accept cultural autonomy
for Tibet under the Chinese Constitution. He has also been willing to
negotiate with Beijing and has advanced a number of very moderate
proposals regarding Tibet's future status. The Communist regime,
however, has only met this attempt at accommodation with stiff
opposition, and is currently instigating yet another crackdown in the
lead up to the Beijing Olympics.
To date, Congress has stood strongly by the Tibetan people as they
bravely struggle for their rights:
In 1991, Congress passed a resolution stating that Tibet is an
occupied country.
In September of 2007, Representative Rohrabacher introduced House
Resolution 610, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
that the United States Government should take immediate steps to
boycott the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in August 2008 unless the
Chinese regime stops engaging in serious human rights abuses against
its citizens and stops supporting serious human rights abuses by the
Governments of Sudan, Burma, and North Korea against their citizens. I
wholeheartedly support and cosponsor this measure.
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and I recently formed the Tibet Caucus
and already have 8 new members.
Congress awarded the Dalai Lama the Congressional Gold Medal.
We cannot stand silently by and watch as another wave of brutality
and oppression sweeps across the country by the Beijing regime.
Congress must continue to stand by the Tibetan people and uphold their
rights as human beings. I urge every Member of Congress to join the
Tibetan Caucus, vote ``yes'' for House Resolution 1077, and urge the
President of the United States to issue an executive order boycotting
the Beijing Olympics and uphold the rights of the Tibetan people to
ensure their voice is not silenced.
Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1077
and I want to thank the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, for her
leadership and commitment to the people of Tibet. For many years, in
both words and deeds, she has stood by the people of Tibet, and called
for the respect and support of their dignity, culture, heritage, and
religion. And I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation.
Madam Speaker, I believe Tibet is one of the most serious human
rights and political freedom issues of our time.
The violent response by Chinese military forces to peaceful protests
that began in the Tibetan capital on March 11th is horrifying. I
believe the United States and the international community must convey a
strong condemnation of these acts, an accounting by China on the
welfare and whereabouts of the many detained Buddhist monks and other
Tibetan citizens who have been arrested, and facilitate access by
international human rights monitors
[[Page H2057]]
and journalists to Tibetan areas, as requested by His Holiness, the
Dalai Lama.
The State Department's 2007 Country Reports on Human Rights describes
a human rights situation in China and Tibet that continues to worsen
while the repression of religious freedom has increased. There is very
disturbing evidence of a pre-Olympic crackdown on religious leaders,
journalists and lawyers in recent months. It is long past time for the
government in Beijing to respect the human rights and religion of every
Tibetan. Further, as the protests in Tibet began calling for greater
economic opportunity and equality, they clearly call into question
China's claims that its development of Tibet advances the prosperity of
Tibetans as well as the ethnic Chinese Han who have been encouraged to
migrate to Tibet and establish themselves there.
Since I was first elected to Congress, I have worked with many of my
House colleagues to press for greater freedom for Tibet and for the
release of Tibetan prisoners of conscience who have been jailed by
Chinese authorities, most of whom are imprisoned for their political
and cultural beliefs. Personally, I believe Tibet should be restored as
an independent nation, which it was prior to China's military invasion
over 50 years ago. I deeply fear that China is successfully destroying
a culture, religion and national heritage that have survived for
thousands of years.
The legislation before us this evening calls upon the Government of
the People's Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and enter
into a substantive dialogue with his holiness the Dalai Lama to find a
negotiated solution that respects the distinctive language, culture,
religious identify, and fundamental freedoms of all Tibetans. It is not
a call for independence. But it is a call for the Chinese Government to
respond as a mature member of the international community. I hope that
Beijing will understand much is required of a nation that desires to be
a leader in regional and international affairs, including the capacity
to genuinely negotiate differences and find solutions that are
meaningful and acceptable to all.
Madam Speaker, I have joined with my congressional colleagues, in a
bipartisan fashion, on matters to Chinese authorities about the recent
protests in Tibet. Over the past years I have also petitioned the
Chinese Government on several individual cases, the most high profile
of which would be the safety and well-being of the Pachan Lama. I have
also asked my own government, at the highest levels, to advocate for
the release of particular prisoners and for greater freedoms for the
Tibetan people. I must admit, however, that I am very frustrated by the
fact that the United States, like the rest of the international
community, appears to voice reverence for the Tibetan culture and
religion, while standing idly by and watching it be slowly eroded and
dismantled year by year by the Chinese authorities. In the meantime,
China continues to pursue its policies in Tibet, knowing there is no
price to pay for its actions.
This time, Madam Speaker, we must all act differently. There must be
consequences for the brutal repression of Tibet. I hope the Chinese
Government will heed the message of this resolution. I hope it will
open a genuine dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and negotiate
in good faith a just solution with and for the people of Tibet.
I promise the sponsors of this bill that I will continue to join them
and speak out on these matters and press President Bush, the
international community, and the Chinese Government to respect the
basic human rights of the Tibetan people. And passage of H. Res. 1077
is the first step in moving this process forward.
Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 1077,
a resolution you introduced calling on the government of the People's
Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet and to enter into a
substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama to find a negotiated solution
that respects the language, culture, and religious identity of the
Tibetan people.
Madam Speaker, freedom, dignity, and respect are universal rights
that should know no boundaries. When these rights are nurtured and
protected, peace, prosperity, and harmony flourish among people and
nations. When these rights are restricted, repressed, and ignored, each
of us has an obligation to speak out, otherwise the world suffers.
Tibet has a long history of language, culture, and religion. Since
the late 1500s, the teachings of the Dalai Lama and Buddhism have
played integral roles in Tibet and throughout the world. The fact that
Tibetans have lived under repressive conditions since China's crackdown
in 1958, which led to the deaths of more than 10,000 Tibetans and sent
the 14th Dalai Lama into exile, is inexcusable.
The fact that China has failed to live up to its commitment to
improve its human rights record is intolerable. The continued attempts
by the Chinese Government to placate the international community with
promises cannot go unchallenged any longer. If China wants to be
recognized as a world leader, it should start acting like one. A good
first step would be to allow for vigorous political debate rather than
suppressing it.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution and thank
the distinguished gentlewoman from California, Madam Speaker, for her
work on this issue.
Mr. MARKEY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution, which calls upon China to end its repression in Tibet.
I would also like to commend the Speaker for her long advocacy on
behalf of the rights of the Tibetan people, and for bringing this bill
before the House today.
In Tibet, there is an ongoing struggle for basic human rights and
human dignity. Our Nation has a moral obligation to make its views
known to the Chinese Government regarding its oppression of the
legitimate rights of the Tibetan people to practice their religion and
express their culture.
Last month, I was honored to join Speaker Pelosi in traveling to
Dharamsala. We met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, with leaders of
the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and with ordinary Tibetan people have
been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge from Chinese political
oppression.
I was moved by the extraordinary struggle of the Tibetan people, and
the stories I heard of the brutal repression that has been taking place
in that country. All the Tibetan people are seeking is their right to
be able to express their culture, language, and religion.
The Dalai Lama made it absolutely clear to us that he is firmly and
unequivocally committed to nonviolence, that he is not seeking
independence but autonomy, and that he is seeking peaceful dialogue
with the Chinese Government. The Dalai Lama is not seeking a boycott of
the Olympic Games; he is seeking to return to his homeland with his
people in peace.
As I told Ambassador Zhou of China when I met with him last week, it
is in the interest of China and Tibet to arrive at a lasting resolution
of this dispute as soon as possible. China's reputation around the
world, and its relations with other nations, will only continue to
suffer if Beijing continues to ignore the world's call for action.
This resolution calls upon China to begin a dialogue with the Dalai
Lama, without preconditions, to address the legitimate grievances of
the Tibetan people. I truly hope that the Chinese Government heeds this
call, ends its repression of Tibetan rights, and enters into a genuine
dialogue on Tibet's future.
I urge adoption of the resolution.
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Res 1077 and to express my concern over recent and ongoing events in
China. Since March 10th, when Tibetan protests began in Lhasa, there
have been demonstrations in at least 48 locations. While there are some
accounts of violent actions, most Tibetan protestors have been
peaceful. Unfortunately, the Chinese government has not taken the same
approach in responding to these protests and protestors. While we do
not know the true number, it is estimated that at least 3,000 Tibetans
may be under detention. And it is even more unclear how many people
have perished because of the Chinese government's excessive response to
these largely peaceful demonstrations.
The Tibetans are a peace loving and resilient people, and even under
the Chinese occupation they have been able to retain their culture.
Unfortunately, while responding harshly, the Chinese government has
also placed blame for the situation at the feet of the Dalai Lama.
This, despite the fact that none of the purported evidence is linked
directly to the Dalai Lama.
As these demonstrations continue, it is important that the Chinese
government distinguishes between the peaceful protestors and the
rioters, and that it honor its own constitutionally guaranteed freedoms
of speech, association, and demonstration.
Passing this resolution today sends the message to the Chinese
Government that this is what we expect, and that we will not turn a
blind eye to their actions. On the contrary, we are closely monitoring
what occurs in Tibet and will continue to do so. As China's engagement
in the international community continues to grow, we must call on the
Chinese government to honor the commitments it has made to both Chinese
and international law. This resolution does just that, and I strongly
support its passage.
Mr. ROYCE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res.1077.
I would like to first commend the Speaker on her timely resolution
that calls on the Government of the People's Republic of China to end
its crackdown in Tibet and to open a dialogue with His Holiness the
Dalai Lama.
Importantly, this resolution calls on the Chinese Government to
release all Tibetan prisoners who were detained for their nonviolent
expression of opposition to Chinese policy towards Tibet, something
with which I very much agree.
[[Page H2058]]
In 2002, the Tibetan Policy Act was ushered through Congress under
the leadership of former chairmen Lantos and Hyde, and signed into law.
Amongst its components was a U.S. commitment to the economic and
cultural preservation of Tibetans inside Tibet. I believe that this
resolution reaffirms this commitment.
For decades, Beijing has oppressed the Tibetan people. As the State
Department's most recent annual report on human rights found, tight
control on religious expression and denial of other basic human rights
are cause for serious concern. China's further crackdowns on peaceful
protestors of the Olympic torch relay serve to further affirm the State
Department's report.
At the center of international media coverage of China's crackdown on
Tibetan Buddhism is Radio Free Asia, a non-profit broadcast corporation
that provides alternative news sources in repressive countries. In
addition to covering the abuses wrought against the Tibetans, Radio
Free Asia has also documented the Chinese destruction of precious
Tibetan religious relics and manuscripts. It is not just the ethnic
discrimination against Tibetans that gives me pause, but also the
efforts to erase their culture.
I commend Radio Free Asia on their tireless efforts to broadcast
truth, and I commend you, Madam Speaker, on your work on this
resolution.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam Speaker, as the Chinese
Government was repressing peaceful Tibetan protests last month, I
visited Dharamshala, India--the recognized home of Tibetans in exile--
with Speaker Pelosi and several of my colleagues.
I had the honor and privilege to meet His Holiness, the Dalai Lama,
and I was moved by the infinite patience and courage he exudes in the
face of overwhelming odds. I was touched by the large population of
Tibetans in exile who worry about family members they have left behind.
These are people who left their homeland due to repression of religion
and language by the Chinese Government and the constant violations of
basic human rights and dignity in their own land.
The Speaker, along with everyone else on our trip, was incensed at
the atrocities conducted by China. Our first order of business upon
returning to the United States was to draft this important resolution
before the House today.
Through this resolution, we call on the Government of the People's
Republic of China to end its crackdown on nonviolent Tibetan protestors
and its continuing cultural, religious, economic, and linguistic
repression inside Tibet and to begin a dialogue directly with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The freedom of press is something we take for granted in the United
States but Tibetans unfortunately do not enjoy this privilege, as all
press inside Tibet, and all of China in fact, is closely monitored and
controlled by the state. This resolution calls on the Chinese
Government to allow independent international monitors and journalists,
free and unfettered access to Tibet.
It is clear by the conviction and sentencing of human rights activist
Hu Jia, who has been an outspoken critic of the human rights record of
the Chinese Government and called on the international community to
hold Beijing responsible for the promises it made when bidding to host
the Olympic games, that China has no intention of unilaterally changing
it's human rights record. The government of China has been and
continues to be an abuser of basic human rights despite the State
Department decision to not include China in a list of countries that
most systemically violate human rights. This resolution asks the United
States Department of State to publicly issue a statement reconsidering
its decision.
The cause of the Tibetan people is a desire for freedom of religion,
freedom to speak their own language, and to express their unique
identity. It is a cause every American can relate to. I urge my
colleagues to vote in support of this resolution--to vote in support of
Tibet.
Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, we've read and seen on the news the
accounting of numerous deaths following the anti-government protests in
the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. The proindependence protests were
initiated by ethnic Tibetans commemorating the 49th anniversary of the
failed 1959 uprising that sent the Dalai Lama into exile. China is now
facing mounting international pressure, including the U.S., to
demonstrate restraint in dealing with the dissent.
I support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to peacefully protest
for independence and safeguard their distinct identity by promoting the
elimination of all forms of racial, religious, and linguistic
discrimination against them. The People's Republic of China, PRC, has
failed miserably to guarantee the preservation of these rights for the
Tibetan people and as a result, Tibetans remain plagued by poverty,
illiteracy, and a limited infrastructure.
I was privileged to participate in the Speaker's congressional
delegation to India last month when we visited the Dalai Lama in
Dharamsala. During our visit we discussed the tragic violence that has
been taking place in Tibet with the Dalai Lama and we agreed that an
open dialogue with the PRC and international pressure are the most
effective methods at our disposal for ending the crisis.
This resolution was born out of those discussions with the Dalai
Lama. It condemns the government of the PRC for its bloody suppression
of the Tibetan people and calls on the government of the PRC to invite
the Dalai Lama to China for the purpose of dialogue to resolve the root
causes of unrest in the Tibetan areas of China.
Free expression and the right to dissent are defining elements of a
democracy. That's why it is essential for us to speak out in
condemnation of China's repression of religion, its complicity in the
Sudanese atrocities in Darfur and its oppression of Tibet.
I urge my colleagues to pass this important resolution.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Speaker, today, the 2008 Olympic torch arrives
for the first time on American soil. It almost didn't make it. After
violence erupted in Paris and London between police and demonstrators
protesting Chinese human rights abuses, there were serious discussions
about ending the torch's journey across the world before it arrived in
the United States.
Despite ongoing complaints by the international community about
China's human rights abuses--and its restrictions on freedoms of
speech--China refuses to take corrective action.
This resolution is an attempt to pressure the Chinese Government to
address international concerns of human rights abuses in that country.
This resolution is also a reaction to six decades of cultural and
religious repression of the Tibetan people. Now is the time to bring
the suffering of the Tibetan people to an end. I ask my colleagues to
join me in supporting this resolution to encourage the People's
Republic of China to enter into discussions with the Dalai Lama and
respect the human rights of all its citizens.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1077.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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