US President Biden makes law to support rights of Tibetans

DHARAMSALA, JULY 13 (IANS) — In a message for Beijing to peacefully resolve through negotiation, not repression, an agreement on Tibet that will support Tibet’s peaceful struggle for human rights and democratic freedom, US President Joe Biden on Friday signed the Resolve Tibet Act.

The law states that it is American policy that the Tibet issue must be resolved in accordance with international law by peaceful means, through dialogue without preconditions.

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, popularly known as Resolve Tibet Act, also takes aim at China’s lies about Tibet, calling on China to stop propagating disinformation about Tibet’s history and giving the State Department a new mandate to directly counter these false claims.

Responding to the signing of the Act, International Campaign for Tibet President Tencho Gyatso said “The Resolve Tibet Act cuts to the heart of China’s brutal treatment of the Tibetan people.”

 “To Tibetans, it is a statement of hope. To other countries, it is a clarion call to support Tibet’s peaceful struggle for human rights and democratic freedoms. And to Beijing, it is a declaration that American support for Tibet does not come with an expiration date; China must resume dialogue and find a solution that supports the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.”

One key feature of the Act is defining the Tibetan people as a people with their own distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. It then states that Chinese policies are systematically suppressing the ability of the Tibetan people to preserve their way of life.

The Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for China to grant genuine autonomy to the Tibetan people, and it is clear under international law that people are entitled to self-determination.

When House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) spoke before it passed Congress, he expressed his hopes that the new law will help “put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken frequently refers to support for self-determination as a core principle of American foreign policy.

President Biden previously pledged to push Beijing to “return to direct dialogue with the representatives of the Tibetan people to achieve meaningful autonomy, respect for human rights, and the preservation of Tibet’s environment as well as its unique cultural, linguistic and religious traditions.”

Now that the Resolve Tibet Act is law, the onus is on the State Department and the White House to vigorously champion genuine negotiation and overcome Beijing’s stalling tactics.

 “President Biden promised his administration would stand up for the people of Tibet,” said ICT President Tencho Gyatso. “There is not a moment to lose. Experienced State Department officials like Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya now have a valuable tool to elevate their calls for negotiations and fulfill the core objective of the Special Coordinator’s office: promoting substantive dialogue, without preconditions, between China and the Dalai Lama, his representatives, or democratically elected Tibetan leaders in support of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.”

The Resolve Tibet Act became law after three years of effort by a select group of members of Congress backed by a broad range of Tibet supporters and Tibetan Americans.

Senior leaders of the Central Tibetan Administration and the ICT board and staff met with Congressional leaders to brief them on the situation in Tibet and discuss how new initiatives could help.

Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Michael McCaul (R-TX) took the lead in the House, while Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bill in the Senate. All four leads and their staff worked tirelessly to put this law in place.

Advocates for Tibet helped at every step along the way. These efforts included testimony from international law scholars, grassroots advocacy by Tibetan Associations, waves of petitions from ICT members, record-breaking turnout at Tibet Lobby Day, and coordination between the Office of Tibet, the International Campaign for Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, and other prominent Tibet groups.

 “It was inspiring to witness such a positive response to the Resolve Tibet Act from across the country and around the world,” said ICT President Gyatso. “It is clear how much can be accomplished when citizens, organisations, and dedicated decision-makers unite. Moving forward, I know we can build on today’s extraordinary accomplishment.”

 “As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, change only takes place through action,” she added.

Rep. Jim McGovern said: “I am thrilled. The United States once again affirms our strong support for the rights of the Tibetan people under international law, including their right to self-determination.”

“With its bipartisan passage, we hope to restart dialogue between Tibet and China to resolve the decades-long dispute over Tibet’s autonomy and governance in keeping with US policy. The Tibetans are willing; the People’s Republic of China should come to the table.”

Rep Michael McCaul, who led a high-level US congressional delegation and visited Dharamsala last month to apprise the Dalai Lama that how the Resolve Tibet Bill had been advancing closer to becoming law, said: “This bill makes it clear the United States believes Tibet has its own unique language, religion and culture, and has a right to self-determination. The bill also requires the State Department to aggressively challenge CCP propaganda about Tibet.”

Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration to North America Namgyal Choedup said: “The bipartisan and bicameral passage of the Tibet bill and the signing of the bill into law by President Biden is a huge moral boost to the Tibetan people, who continues to suffer PRC’s systematic repression. This is a clear indication of the unwavering support of the US government and its people towards the just cause of the Tibetan people. This is a call to Beijing that the only solution to Tibet China dispute is through dialogue and negotiation in good faith.”

The 14th Dalai Lama, an icon of ahimsa (non-violence) and karuna (compassion), who turned 89 on July 6, is presently in the US recovering from a knee surgery he underwent last month.