Tibetan political leaders have welcomed the passage of the Tibetan Bill of Rights by the U.S. Congress. The bill reaffirms the right of the Tibetan people to choose a successor to Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday (Dec. 22), Lobsang Sangay, secretary-general of the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala, India, called the passage of the Tibet Policy and Support Act by the U.S. House and Senate a historic event.
Lobsang Sangay said, “The passage of the Tibet Policy and Support Act by the U.S. Congress sends a clear message that Tibet remains a priority concern for the United States and that the United States will continue to stand firmly behind His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.” Lobsang Senghor said this is a victory for the Tibetan freedom struggle.
The U.S. Congress on Monday passed the FY 2021 omnibus appropriations bill and the New Crown Pneumonia Epidemic Relief Act, which includes the Tibet Policy and Support Act and the Taiwan Assurances Act, as well as some provisions related to Hong Kong. The Taiwan Reassurance Act includes the normalization of arms sales to Taiwan, support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, and a review of the U.S. State Department’s guidelines for engagement with Taiwan.
The U.S. government’s budget for next year totals $2.3 trillion, with $900 billion for the next phase of the epidemic relief program.
Beijing is furious with the U.S. for this action. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin condemned U.S. interference in China’s internal affairs at a press conference Tuesday and threatened the White House not to sign the bill into law.
Wang Wenbin said, “We urge the U.S. side to stop meddling in China’s internal affairs through the issue in question and refrain from signing and implementing the negative content and provisions of the bill in question that target China to the detriment of China’s interests, so as not to further damage China-U.S. cooperation and the overall situation of relations between the two countries.”
China has long considered the Dalai Lama to be a “dangerous separatist.” The U.S. Congress’ passage of a bill supporting the Dalai Lama could further strain the already strained U.S.-China relationship.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sent troops to occupy Tibet in 1950, completing what Chinese textbooks call “peaceful liberation. Since then, Tibet has been a sensitive area of China under tight control. The Dalai Lama fled after a failed armed uprising in 1959.
The Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TSPA) proposes to Beijing that the United States establish a consulate in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and states that the Tibetan people have the right to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and to protect the environment in Tibet.
The bill also suggests that the Beijing government open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama.
This bill sets the stage for sanctions against Chinese officials who interfere with the Dalai Lama’s succession process.
The Dalai Lama system has existed for more than 600 years. During that time some changes have taken place, but when it comes to religious affairs, an article published by Asia News International ANI on Tuesday pointed out that it has always been a matter for the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people themselves, and no country, including the Chinese government, has the right to interfere in the process of selecting the Dalai Lama’s successor.
Speaking on the House floor, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi noted that the bill sends a clear message to Beijing that it must be held accountable for its interference in Tibetan religious and cultural affairs.
Pelosi added that the U.S. will use all of its diplomatic power to encourage Beijing to engage in dialogue with Tibetan leaders. “It is unacceptable that the Chinese government has so far refused to engage in dialogue with Tibetan leaders,” she said.
Pelosi said the U.S. supports religious freedom and genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people and that the U.S. will formally establish the Tibetan issue as U.S. policy and “ensure that the Tibetan Buddhist community has the exclusive right to choose its religious leaders, including the right to choose the 15th Dalai Lama in the future.”
Officially, China maintains that it has the right to endorse a successor to the Dalai Lama. Many see this as a threat by the Chinese Communist Party to control Tibet. Tibetans make up about 90 percent of the Tibetan population.
The bill also proposes to develop a “regional framework for water security,” expand dialogue between the Tibetan region and China and monitor the region’s environment.
The bill says, “The People’s Republic of China has completed a water transfer program of billions of cubic meters of water per year and plans to transfer more water from China’s Tibetan Plateau.”
Environmental groups and Tibetan human rights activists are concerned about China’s plans for hydropower development in the region, which they believe will affect water supplies downstream.
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