[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11031-11035]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CALLING FOR SUBSTANTIVE DIALOGUE TO ADDRESS TIBETAN GRIEVANCES AND 
             SECURE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT FOR TIBETAN PEOPLE

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 337) calling for substantive 
dialogue, without preconditions, in order to address Tibetan grievances 
and secure a negotiated agreement for the Tibetan people, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 337

       Whereas Tibet is the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and His 
     Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most revered figure in Tibetan 
     Buddhism worldwide;
       Whereas the Chinese response to the Tibetan Uprising in 
     1959 led to the exile of Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th 
     Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who on July 6, 
     2015, celebrates his 80th birthday, has for over 50 years in 
     exile significantly advanced greater understanding, 
     tolerance, harmony and respect among the religious faiths of 
     the world;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has led the effort 
     to preserve the rich cultural, religious, historical and 
     linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people while at the same 
     time promoting the safeguarding of other endangered cultures 
     throughout the world;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has personally 
     promoted democratic self-government for Tibetans in exile and 
     in 2011 turned over political authority to the democratically 
     elected leadership of the Central Tibetan Administration;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has been greatly 
     concerned by the state of the Tibetan environment and the 
     exploitation of its natural resources, including fresh 
     water--as rivers originating in the Tibetan plateau support 
     one-third of the world's population--and has promoted 
     environmental awareness in the region;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the 
     Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 in recognition of his efforts to 
     seek a peaceful resolution to the situation in Tibet, and to 
     promote non-violent methods for resolving conflict;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the 
     Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 in recognition of his 
     promotion of democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan 
     people; his efforts to preserve the cultural, religious, and 
     linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people; his promotion of 
     non-violence; and his contributions to global religious 
     understanding, human rights, and ecology;
       Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as the spiritual 
     leader of Tibetan Buddhism, publicly presented in 2011 the 
     religious process which Tibetan Buddhists should follow 
     regarding his reincarnation;
       Whereas the Chinese central government has attempted to 
     interfere with the reincarnation process and the practice of 
     Tibetan Buddhist religious traditions; and Chinese officials 
     assert that the failure to secure Beijing's approval on the 
     Dalai Lama's reincarnation would make the process 
     ``illegal'';
       Whereas in the words of Party official Zhu Weiqun, 
     ``Decision-making power over the reincarnation of the Dalai 
     Lama and over the end or survival of his lineage, resides 
     with the central government of China.'';
       Whereas the Department of State's International Religious 
     Freedom Report for 2013 noted that in Tibetan areas of China 
     ``[r]epression was severe and increased around politically 
     sensitive events and religious anniversaries,'' and 
     ``[o]fficial interference in the practice of Tibetan Buddhist 
     religious traditions continued to generate profound 
     grievances'';
       Whereas the Department of State has designated China as a 
     ``country of particular concern'' (CPC) for religious freedom 
     since 1999, and in its 2013 human rights report details that 
     ``under the banner of maintaining social stability and 
     combating separatism, the [Chinese] government has engaged in 
     the severe repression of Tibet's unique religious, cultural, 
     and linguistic heritage by, among other means, strictly 
     curtailing the civil rights of China's ethnic Tibetan 
     population, including the freedoms of speech, religion, 
     association, assembly, and movement'';
       Whereas access to Tibetan areas of China for United States 
     officials, journalists, and other United States citizens, is 
     restricted by the Government of the People's Republic of 
     China, obscuring the full impact of the Chinese Government's 
     policies, including the disappearance of Tibetans who sought 
     to share information about human rights abuses on the Tibetan 
     Plateau;
       Whereas the Department of State's 2014 Report on Tibet 
     Negotiations noted that ``The Dalai Lama's representatives 
     and Chinese officials have not met directly since the ninth 
     round of dialogue in January 2010.'';
       Whereas, on March 10, 2015, the elected Tibetan leader 
     Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay publicly stated ``The Envoys of 
     His Holiness the Dalai Lama are ready to engage in dialogue 
     with their Chinese counterpart any time and any place.'';
       Whereas it is the objective of the United States 
     Government, consistent across administrations of different 
     political parties and as articulated in the Tibetan Policy 
     Act of 2002 (subtitle B of title VI of Public Law 107-228; 22 
     U.S.C. 6901 note) to promote dialogue between the Government 
     of the People's Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his 
     representatives to reach a negotiated agreement on Tibet;
       Whereas China may be considering convening a Sixth Tibet 
     Work Forum to set policy on Tibet for the next five years or 
     so, with the last such work forum having been held in 2010; 
     and
       Whereas the American people have a long-held concern for 
     and interest in the plight of the Tibetan people: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) calls on the United States Government to fully 
     implement sections 613(a) and 621(c) of the Tibetan Policy 
     Act of 2002 by strongly

[[Page 11032]]

     encouraging representatives of the Government of the People's 
     Republic of China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama to hold 
     substantive dialogue, in keeping with the Tibetan Policy Act 
     of 2002 and without preconditions, in order to address 
     Tibetan grievances and secure a negotiated agreement for the 
     Tibetan people;
       (2) calls on the United States Government to fully 
     implement section 618 of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 in 
     regard to the establishment of an office in Lhasa, Tibet, to 
     monitor political, economic and cultural developments in 
     Tibet, and to provide consular protection and citizen 
     services;
       (3) urges the United States Government--
       (A) to consistently raise Tibetan human rights and 
     political and religious freedom concerns at the United 
     States-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and other high-
     level bilateral meetings;
       (B) and the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues to offer 
     their assistance to China in its preparations for a potential 
     future Sixth Tibet Work Form; and
       (C) to call for the immediate and unconditional release of 
     Tibetan political prisoners, including Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, 
     the 11th Panchen Lama, who was taken into custody by the 
     Chinese authorities and has been missing since 1995, Tenzin 
     Delek Rinpoche, and Khenpo Kartse (Khenpo Karma Tsewang);
       (4) calls on the United States Government to underscore 
     that government interference in the Tibetan reincarnation 
     process is a violation of the internationally recognized 
     right to religious freedom and to highlight the fact that 
     other countries besides China have long Tibetan Buddhist 
     traditions, and that matters related to reincarnations in 
     Tibetan Buddhism are of keen interest to Tibetan Buddhist 
     populations worldwide;
       (5) calls on the United States Government to recognize and 
     increase global public awareness and monitoring of the 
     upcoming electoral process through which the Tibetan people 
     in exile will choose the next democratically elected leader 
     of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Sikyong;
       (6) calls on the United States Government to fully 
     implement section 616(b) of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 by 
     using its voice and vote to encourage development 
     organizations and agencies to design and implement 
     development projects that fully comply with the Tibet Project 
     Principles;
       (7) calls on United States and international governments, 
     organizations, and civil society to renew and reinforce 
     initiatives to promote the preservation of the distinct 
     religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity of the 
     Tibetan people;
       (8) calls on the Government of the People's Republic of 
     China to allow unrestricted access to the Tibetan areas of 
     China to United States officials, journalists, and other 
     United States citizens;
       (9) affirms the Dalai Lama's desire for a negotiated 
     agreement for the Tibetan people, and urges the Chinese 
     government to enter into negotiations with the Dalai Lama and 
     his representatives; and
       (10) reaffirms the unwavering friendship between the people 
     of the United States and the people of Tibet.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to submit statements or 
extraneous materials for the Record on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 337, 
calling for substantive dialogue without preconditions to help secure a 
negotiated agreement for the Tibetan people. I want to thank the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), my friend and colleague, for his 
leadership in introducing this bipartisan resolution.
  This week, Madam Speaker, when so many voices around the world are 
joined in wishing his holiness the Dalai Lama a happy 80th birthday, it 
is a fitting time to recommit ourselves to Congress' longstanding 
support for the fundamental rights of the people of Tibet, because the 
situation in Tibet has never been more bleak. Those basic rights 
involve fundamental and foundational rights of freedom of religion.
  The recent State Department Human Rights Report offered a withering 
criticism of the Chinese Government's oversight of Tibet and Tibetan 
areas in China. It said:

       The government engaged in severe repression of Tibet's 
     religious, cultural, and religious heritage by, among other 
     means, strictly curtailing the civil rights of China's 
     Tibetan population, including the rights of the freedom of 
     speech, religion, association, assembly, and movement.

  Unfortunately, the regime's interference extends even to the most 
elemental aspects of Tibetan Buddhist practice. This year marks the 
20th anniversary of the disappearance of the Panchen Lama, who was 
detained by Chinese Government officials back in 1995 when he was a 
young child. Zhu Weiqun, a top Communist official dealing with ethnic 
and religious affairs, has claimed, ``decisionmaking power over the 
reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and over the end or survival of his 
lineage resides with the central Government of China.''
  Sadly, we know that Tibetans have used self-immolations as a protest 
against religious and political oversight by the Chinese Government. 
There have been 134 self-immolations since 2009. The numbers are 
decreasing because of heavy security and punishments that target family 
members and entire villages. It is difficult to fathom the despair and 
the desperation felt by Tibetans who take this last act of defiance. 
The Chinese Government has blamed the Dalai Lama and ``foreign forces'' 
for self-immolations instead of looking at how their own despicable 
policies created such deep grievances.
  Madam Speaker, the Tibetan people want to be free to practice their 
unique faith and to live by the dictates of their faith. This freedom 
is denied to them. The Chinese Government expanded its efforts last 
year to transform Tibetan Buddhism into a state-managed institution. 
They sought to undermine the devotion of the Tibetan people to the 
Dalai Lama and control the process of selecting Buddhist leaders. The 
Chinese Government wants a Tibetan Buddhism that is attractive to 
tourists and which allows the Communist Party to manage its affairs.

                              {time}  1530

  The U.N. Special Rapporteur on religion recently criticized China's 
efforts to control Tibetan Buddhism and the process of selecting 
leaders. He said:

       The Chinese Government is destroying the autonomy of 
     religious communities . . . creating schisms and pitting 
     people against each other in order to exercise control.

  This is exactly what the Chinese Government has done to other 
religious groups, including Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, and the 
Falun Gong. When the faithful don't fall in line, they are jailed.
  Madam Speaker, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, of 
which I serve as chairman, has a prisoner database that contains 
records on 617 Tibetan political and religious prisoners. Forty-four 
percent of those detained are monks, nuns, and religious teachers. 
Almost all were imprisoned since 2008.
  Unfortunately, our ability to get accurate information in real time 
about this situation in Tibet is complicated by restrictions on access 
to Tibetan areas by United States officials, journalists, and other 
U.S. citizens. This has frustrated U.S. consular officers' ability to 
provide services to American citizens.
  In October 2013, the Chinese Government delayed access for over 48 
hours during an emergency situation involving a bus accident that 
ultimately resulted in the deaths of three U.S. citizens and injuries 
to others.
  As the Chinese Government pushes for new consulates and official 
facilities in the United States, our government must insist on an 
official presence in Lhasa, which is called for in section 618 of the 
Tibetan Policy Act, which became law in the year 2002.
  The Dalai Lama is recognized internationally for his commitment to 
peaceful and nonviolent conflict resolution. The recipient of the 1989 
Nobel Peace Prize and a Congressional Gold Medal winner in 2007, he has 
made clear his willingness to engage in dialogue with Chinese 
counterparts at any time, at any place, and without any preconditions.
  Unfortunately, this commitment to peaceful dialogue is not 
reciprocal, and

[[Page 11033]]

Chinese officials have not met directly with his representatives in 
over 5 years. This is the longest break since the dialogue--or so-
called dialogue--started in 2002.
  Indeed, a Chinese Government white paper on Tibet published this 
April states that China will ``only talk with private representatives 
of the Dalai Lama'' to discuss ``the future of the Dalai Lama'' and how 
he can ``gain the forgiveness of the central government and the Chinese 
people.''
  That is outrageous. Instead of asking for the Dalai Lama's 
forgiveness for the decades of brutal repression, the Chinese 
Government demands that he ask the government of China for forgiveness.
  This is unfortunate and highly counterproductive. If China's goal is 
to build a ``harmonious society'' in Tibet, which they love to tout, it 
cannot be done without the Dalai Lama. He is the spiritual leader of 
the Tibetan people. His views are widely shared throughout Tibetan 
society, and he can be a constructive partner with China in addressing 
continuing tensions and deep-seated grievances.
  In light of this, the resolution before us calls for fuller 
implementation of existing U.S. law in support of direct dialogue 
between Chinese officials and the Dalai Lama; it calls for an official 
U.S. presence in Lhasa and urges our government to ensure that 
religious rights and religious freedom issues are consistently raised 
in the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and other high-level 
meetings.
  It has many, many other provisions which I know the prime sponsor 
will elaborate.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 337, and I yield 1 
minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), our leader and 
one of the greatest champions of Tibet's struggle for freedom.
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I 
commend him for being a champion on human rights throughout the world.
  I am pleased to associate myself with the remarks of Chairman Smith, 
and I thank him for his courageous, long-term dedication to human 
rights throughout the world and the recognition that what is happening 
in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of our country and to the 
world.
  I thank him for enumerating some of the concerns that we have, and I 
know that our distinguished ranking member will talk about some of what 
is contained in the resolution. I thank them both for their leadership.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution and in 
celebration of the 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose 
spiritual wisdom and friendship have been inspiring and uplifting to 
many Tibetans, Americans, and people throughout the world.
  His Holiness the Dalai Lama is a transcendent presence on the 
international stage. As a compassionate religious leader, astute 
diplomat, and an undaunted believer in the power of nonviolence, the 
Dalai Lama has earned the respect of people from many nations, many 
backgrounds, and many faith traditions.
  American Presidents and the American people have been inspired by His 
Holiness, who describes himself as a simple monk, ``no more, no less.'' 
Those American Presidents began with Franklin Roosevelt, who sent His 
Holiness the Dalai Lama a watch with the phases of the Moon on it for 
his birthday when he was a little boy.
  How prescient it was of President Roosevelt because His Holiness 
would not only be a religious figure, but one who related so positively 
to science and its mysteries.
  To Tibetan Buddhists, His Holiness is the earthly manifestation of 
the living Buddha. To them and the international community, he is the 
spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. To millions of believers and 
admirers, he is a source of wisdom and compassion. To young people, His 
Holiness is a positive example of how to make the world a better place.
  As our colleague mentioned, the Chinese Government has refused to 
meet with him. They are afraid to meet with him; they consider him a 
threat, and that is so unnecessary. They accuse him of being for 
independence when he has said for decades now that he is for autonomy 
for Tibet.
  The Chinese Government has brutally repressed Tibet's unique 
religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage. The Chinese Government's 
oppression of the Tibetan people and the Chinese Communist Party's 
vitriolic campaign against the Dalai Lama continues, which, again, 
challenges us all to speak out.
  Again, the situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the 
world. If freedom-loving people do not speak out against oppression in 
Tibet, then we have lost all moral authority to speak out on behalf of 
human rights anywhere in the world.
  If it is a big country with whom we have big commercial interests, 
like China, it deters us from using our voices in support of human 
rights. How then can we turn to smaller, less economically significant 
countries and say, ``But for you, the standard is different''?
  The Congress must continue to stand with the Tibetan people and stand 
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to ensure that Tibetan children are 
free to learn their language, practice their faith, and honor their 
culture as they live in peace.
  Perhaps one of the most remarkable achievements of His Holiness is 
his profound and unbreakable connection with the people of Tibet. He 
has won the Nobel Peace Prize, as was indicated; and we honored him 
with a Congressional Gold Medal in 2007. At that time, it was an honor 
for all of us that President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush attended that 
gold medal ceremony.
  An 80th birthday is a significant milestone in any culture, none more 
so than in Tibet. This is a moment to celebrate; yet on his birthday, 
July 6, Tibetans were still not even allowed to utter the Dalai Lama's 
name.
  In the Dalai Lama's homeland, more than 140 Tibetans have self-
immolated to protest oppression by the Chinese Government and the 
Chinese Communist Party's vitriolic campaign against the exiled Tibetan 
religious; yet the people of Tibet persevere. They persevere in peace. 
The nonviolent nature of the Tibetan struggle should serve as an 
inspiration to a world riven by conflict and devastating acts of 
violence.
  During his long life, the Dalai Lama has shown that harmony between 
peoples is based on freedom of expression, the freedom and courage to 
speak the truth and treat others with mutual respect and dignity.
  I just recall one incident when I was visiting His Holiness in India 
at Dharamsala. He had lamas come from all over to visit with our 
bipartisan congressional delegation who were visiting him there.
  After people got up and talked about all the oppression and the 
campaign against the Tibetans that was happening at that time, I got up 
to speak following that, and I said that we, in Congress, must act; we 
must act in terms of legislation to support the people of Tibet.
  I said so in a very forceful way because it was so sad to hear the 
stories of what was happening in Tibet, and I was so strong in my 
reaction to it. His Holiness followed me in the program, and he said: 
``I pray that we can rid Nancy of her negative attitudes.''
  Anyway, there is no better way to honor the Dalai Lama on his 80th 
birthday than by standing with him and the Tibetan people, vowing to 
keep their cause alive.
  As we wish His Holiness a peaceful and joyous birthday, we must 
rededicate ourselves to the cause of peace in the world and peace in 
our lives.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in strong support of H. Res. 337. I am proud to have offered 
this resolution that calls for the Chinese Government to sit down with 
Tibet's leaders

[[Page 11034]]

without preconditions, listen to their grievances, and work toward an 
agreement that guarantees the rights and security of the Tibetan 
people.
  It also marks, as the Democratic leader pointed out, the 80th 
birthday of the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, His Holiness, 
the 14th Dalai Lama.
  I have had the privilege to meet His Holiness, who is truly a 
remarkable man, such a gentle spirit driven from within by incredible 
strength and courage, a person of such humor and kindness whose life 
has been marked by struggle and setback.
  I first met him here in Washington many years ago. When you meet him, 
no matter your faith or background, you cannot help but feel the bond 
of common humanity and be drawn into his cause and the cause of the 
Tibetan people; indeed, many in Congress have gotten behind this 
effort.
  Let me, again, especially thank Leader Pelosi. There has been no 
greater champion in Congress for the Tibetan struggle for freedom. For 
years, she has held a light to the challenges the Tibetan people face 
in preserving their unique culture, language, and religion. I am 
honored that she is cosponsoring this resolution.
  Let me also thank Asia Subcommittee Chairman Matt Salmon, and co-
chairmen of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Representative Jim 
McGovern and Representative Joseph Pitts, for supporting this measure. 
I thank my friend Mr. Smith of New Jersey as well.
  Since 1951, the people of Tibet have lived under the shadow of the 
People's Republic of China, without guarantees of even the most basic 
rights and with no say in deciding Tibet's future. The Dalai Lama has 
described the cultural genocide the Tibetan people have endured, forced 
assimilation and loss of language and cultural identity.
  Today, as human rights conditions for the Tibetan people deteriorate 
and continue to deteriorate, as more monasteries come under government 
control, as more people are arrested, the desperation of the Tibetan 
people grows.
  Tragically, more than 140 Tibetans have burned themselves alive in 
protest of growing oppression; yet the Chinese authorities have not 
changed course. Despite talk of mutual respect and social harmony, the 
reality in Tibet tells a very, very different story.
  Today, we look to the example set by the Dalai Lama and call for 
meaningful change for the Tibetan people. The Dalai Lama's life has 
been a peaceful journey toward a better future for his people. It is in 
that spirit that we call on the Chinese Government to negotiate without 
preconditions.
  His Holiness has shown that democratic institutions can thrive 
alongside spiritual leadership. It is in that spirit that we urge the 
Chinese Government not to involve itself in the spiritual succession 
process for the next Dalai Lama, should there be one.
  The Dalai Lama has championed freedom of expression and freedom of 
conscience to promote mutual understanding and harmony. It is in this 
spirit that this resolution calls on China to allow unrestricted access 
to officials, journalists, and other America citizens.
  Let's not forget the United States has an obligation to hold up these 
freedoms as well. That is why this measure also calls on our own 
government to press the issues of human rights, political rights, and 
religious rights at the highest levels of the Chinese Government and to 
call for the immediate release of Tibetan political prisoners.
  Throughout his life, the Dalai Lama has worked for a peaceful path 
forward for the Tibetan people. We are grateful for his example and his 
wisdom. With this resolution, we urge China's leaders to do the right 
thing for Tibet.
  I enthusiastically support this resolution; I urge my colleagues to 
do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1545

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 4 minutes to 
the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the co-chair of the 
Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and a longtime supporter of the 
Dalai Lama and of Tibet.
  Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Engel) for yielding me the time and for his leadership on 
this issue and on so many other issues.
  I also want to thank Chairman Royce; Subcommittee Chairman Salmon; my 
friend and fellow co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, 
Congressman Joe Pitts; as well as my colleague from New Jersey, 
Congressman Smith, for working in such a bipartisan way to bring this 
resolution to the House floor during this week when we are all 
celebrating the 80th birthday of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.
  I especially want to thank Democratic Leader Pelosi for her many 
years of leadership and support of the Tibetan people. She is a true 
champion in the struggle to protect their basic human rights and 
autonomy.
  We are all here because we care about the fundamental human rights of 
Tibetans, including the right to worship as they choose and to enjoy 
and protect their culture. But we may be running out of time to 
guarantee those rights.
  As we celebrate the 80th birthday of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai 
Lama, the Chinese Government has recently asserted its right to approve 
his successor. The very continuation of the ancient line of Tibetan 
spiritual leadership and reincarnation is in question.
  Next Tuesday, on July 14, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission will 
hold a hearing on the situation in Tibet with the aim of identifying 
new, creative ideas to advance the basic human rights of Tibetans and 
to ensure Tibetan autonomy.
  I share the concerns of my colleagues that the situation in Tibet is 
dire.
  Since 2009, more than 130 Tibetans inside China have taken the 
unimaginable step of setting themselves on fire. At least 112 are 
believed to have died. Some chose self-immolation to protest Chinese 
Government policies, others, to call for the return of the Dalai Lama. 
In response, Chinese authorities have intensified official reprisals.
  Surely the people of Tibet must wonder whether anyone is hearing 
their desperate cries. With this resolution, we are attempting to send 
a clear message back to Tibet that, yes, we hear you. You are not 
alone.
  Regrettably, the human rights abuses in Tibet are neither new nor 
unknown. On the contrary, Tibet is a very sensitive issue in U.S.-China 
relations. U.S. policy is supposed to be guided by the Tibetan Policy 
Act of 2002, which encourages dialogue between the Chinese Government 
and representatives of the Dalai Lama, but Chinese intransigence has 
closed down dialogue since 2010.
  China also severely restricts access to Tibet and Tibetan regions, 
especially for U.S. journalists, officials, and citizens, even though, 
I might add, Chinese citizens and officials enjoy unrestricted access 
here in the United States.
  In April, the Chinese Government issued a new white paper on Tibet, 
with its own unbelievable version of history and an unprecedented 
demand that the Dalai Lama publicly state that Tibet has been an 
integral part of China since antiquity as a precondition for improving 
relations with China.
  Madam Speaker, we need to be doing something different. We need to 
have the guts to take some action. Everyone in the world says how much 
they admire the Dalai Lama. Every head of state, every international 
organization all declare how much they care about Tibet and worry about 
Tibetan human rights abuses, but things have only gotten worse. We must 
all come together now to change the status quo, to change the game the 
Chinese Government has been playing for so many decades.
  The situation is urgent. It can wait no longer. And shame on all of 
us if we stand by with empty words and continue to watch the people of 
Tibet suffer and their culture, religion, and way of life be 
exterminated day by day, year by year, until nothing is left.

[[Page 11035]]

  So I thank my colleagues for bringing this urgent matter to the 
attention of Congress, and I urge all my colleagues to support H. Res. 
337.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. 
Rohrabacher).
  Mr. ROHRABACHER. What happens when the United States remains silent? 
What happens is repression and torture and the expansion of 
dictatorship, and, in the end, it makes the United States vulnerable.
  We have sat back and permitted the Chinese to take whatever course 
they want to suppress the people of Tibet for over three decades now. 
And has it made Tibet any better, the people any freer that we haven't 
put any demands on the Communist Party in Beijing?
  Has it made war less likely between the United States?
  Has there been any more, because we have given them such elbow room, 
that the Chinese dictators in Beijing have decided to move on and treat 
their people a little bit better?
  No. What has happened is there has been a growing repression and a 
growing chance of an altercation, an international altercation between 
China and its neighbors and, yes, the United States.
  It is time we stand up for the people of the world who are fighting, 
struggling for their freedom, knowing that is what will make us secure, 
and nowhere is that more clear than in Tibet.
  The people of Tibet are not Chinese people who are just reunited by 
the Communist Chinese with the motherland in China. It has been a 
distinct culture for centuries. And it wasn't until long after the 
Communist Chinese had taken over the rest of China that they invaded 
Tibet and subjugated its people.
  The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader, but also a symbolic force for 
freedom of religion and humanitarianism in this world.
  We, as Americans, need to make sure that we are on the side of the 
Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet and in no way could our actions be 
interpreted, our silence be interpreted to be acquiescence to the 
repression that the people of Tibet have been experiencing these last 
three and four decades.
  I rise in support of H. Res. 337, and I thank my colleagues for the 
leadership that they have provided on this issue. Let's make sure 
America stands tall, stands strong, and stands with the people of Tibet 
and other people seeking their freedom.
  Mr. ENGEL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to close.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 337. I think everyone who 
spoke made excellent points, and we are all of one mind. This is the 
right thing to do.
  We should support this resolution to honor the deep humility, 
respect, and peace that the Dalai Lama represents to us and to people 
around the world. We should support this resolution to underscore our 
friendship and commitment to the Tibetan people and to all people who 
are oppressed and deprived of their basic rights.
  Let me say that again, and to all people who are oppressed and 
deprived of their basic rights.
  And we should support this resolution on behalf of the Chinese people 
themselves, the growing number of people inside China who understand 
China itself will be more prosperous and more successful when their 
government chooses to be genuinely open and respectful of all peoples 
and cultures.
  I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 337, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of 
my time. I want to again thank my good friend and colleague Eliot Engel 
for his excellent resolution. It is a bipartisan resolution.
  I want to also thank Leader Pelosi for her eloquence on the floor 
today and for her love and respect that she has conveyed for decades to 
the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet.
  This is a bipartisan resolution. It shows, I think, that we are 
absolutely united, and I think that is an important message to send at 
this critical juncture.
  I also want to point out to my colleagues that China really is a 
place where much is never as it seems to be. People who take trips 
there, go on tours there, even Members of Congress who travel there 
come away with a Potemkin village viewpoint of what is happening, 
especially when torture and other degrading acts and cruelty is 
routinely visited upon and imposed upon people that the Chinese 
Government deems to be of lesser value.
  We see it with the Falun Gong. We see it with underground Christians. 
We see it with the Uighurs. And we see it in Tibet, where there has 
been a systematic effort to eradicate the culture of Tibet. It is 
genocide. They even used forced abortion as a way of genocide to kill 
the children of Tibetan mothers.
  Years ago I held a hearing in the mid-1990s, and it was on torture in 
the People's Republic of China. And let us not forget, Chinese law 
proscribes torture. It prohibits torture. It is all a nice paper 
promise. It doesn't mean anything.
  They have also signed the convention against torture, the U.N. 
convention, and they love to ballyhoo that when they are at 
international fora and when their people travel here to the United 
States.
  But let's not forget, as well, that China took out a reservation to 
the U.N. Convention Against Torture, Article 20, that exempts it from 
accepting any investigation about abuses. So the only one who will 
investigate China is the Chinese Government itself. They will not allow 
the International Committee of the Red Cross. They will not allow U.S. 
representatives and other bilateral or, I should say, multilateral 
organizations to come in and investigate allegations of torture.
  Back in the early 1990s, again, I held this hearing, one of many. I 
have held 53 hearings on human rights abuses in China over the years. 
But this one we had six people, all of whom had been tortured with 
impunity by the Chinese Government.
  Palden Gyatso, who is a Buddhist monk, came to the Rayburn Building, 
tried to go through the security there and was stopped. He was stopped 
because he brought with him some of the implements of torture that are 
used routinely by the Chinese Government--cattle prods and other 
hideous instruments that are put under the arms and elsewhere to cause 
horrific damage and pain to the victim--and he described in detail at 
the hearing what he personally went through.
  Regrettably, that continues to this day. The State Department's 
report on human rights recently released reminds us that electric 
shocks, exposure to cold, and severe beatings, as well as extreme 
physical labor, are routinely used against Tibetans and Tibetan 
Buddhists, in particular, just like they were against Palden Gyatso 
years ago.
  So it has not changed. It has actually gotten worse. And again, this 
resolution brings the light and scrutiny that is so necessary to these 
hideous practices.
  So again, I urge my colleagues to support it, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 337, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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