-By International Campaign for Tibet
The US Congress and the Biden administration should push for a resolution to China’s decades-long conflict against Tibet, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China says in its new annual report.
The report, released today, Nov. 16, 2022, says China’s officials “continue to show no interest in responding to the Dalai Lama’s request for dialogue and continue to disseminate false information about Tibet’s history.”
“To strengthen the longstanding, bipartisan U.S. policy of promoting dialogue, the Administration and Congress should ensure that calls for dialogue are based on the Tibetan people’s right of self-determination under international law and use available resources to counter disinformation about Tibet from [People’s Republic of China] officials,” the report adds.
The Commission—which consists of nine Senators, nine Representatives and five senior administration officials, including Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya, who serves as President Biden’s Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues—monitors human rights and the development of the rule of law in China.
The commission’s annual report documents the Chinese government’s “egregious human rights violations” inside and outside the country. In Tibet—which China has illegally occupied for over 60 years—those violations included crackdowns on religious freedom, freedom of speech and language rights. There were also several self-immolations in Tibet this year, the report notes.
“We also continue to record the severe crackdown against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, Tibetans and Hong Kongers,” said Commission Co-Chair Rep. Jim McGovern. “I urge Members of Congress and the Executive Branch to make use of our recommendations to hold the Chinese government accountable and more effectively prioritize the promotion of universal human rights and the rule of law.” Click here to read more.