[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 56 (Wednesday, April 9, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E561]
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

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                               speech of

                           HON. JOHN W. OLVER

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 8, 2008

  Mr. OLVER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1077 
calling on the Peoples' Republic of China to end its crackdown in Tibet 
and engage in substantive dialogue with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. 
For nearly six decades, China has pursued a deliberate policy of 
cultural, religious, linguistic, and economic repression against the 
people of Tibet. Last month on the 49th anniversary of a historic 
uprising against Chinese rule, Tibetan monks began a series of protests 
which widened into large-scale and often violent clashes between 
protesters and Chinese authorities. These protests were the largest 
since 1989, when Chinese authorities imposed martial law in Lhasa, the 
Tibetan capital, following mass antigovernment protests.
  Since 1950, the history of Tibet--then an autonomous region inhabited 
by fewer than 3 million overwhelmingly ethnic Tibetans--has been 
characterized by harsh religious persecution and political repression. 
The Chinese government has been systematically eradicating the unique 
cultural and religious heritage of Tibet. In 2006, the Department of 
State Human Rights Report named China as one of ``the most systematic 
violators of human rights'' in part due to its repressive actions in 
Tibet.
  In 2007, that same report documented discriminatory Chinese 
government policies that provide economic benefits to Han Chinese 
migrants willing to relocate to Tibet. While Tibetans maintain their 
majority in rural areas, cities such as Lhasa have seen hundreds of 
thousands of migrant workers lured by economic incentives and the 
construction of a new railroad, This influx of ethnically Han Chinese 
has spurred fears among many Tibetans, who have almost no political 
voice, that the government is engaging in a deliberate campaign to 
bludgeon their cultural and religious heritage. By suppressing the 
religious and political rights of Tibetans and by repeatedly denying 
access to journalists and human rights observers, China has 
demonstrated a negligent disregard for the rights of Tibetans and has 
unnecessarily repressed a society which embraces nonviolence and seeks 
political reconciliation rather than armed resistance.
  It is my belief that President Bush should revoke his decision to 
attend the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to protest China's abysmal 
human rights record in Tibet in addition to its key support for the 
genocidal government in Sudan. Hosting the Olympic Games is a unique 
privilege and China's repression of Tibet stands in stark contrast to 
the ideals behind that august international competition. I join my 
colleagues today in condemning China's crackdown on nonviolent 
protesters in Tibet and urge the Chinese government to immediately 
commence negotiations with the Dalai Lama with the goal of forging a 
long-term solution that safeguards the unique cultural and religious 
heritage of the Tibetan people.

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