Washington DC: The Congressional Executive Commission on China hosted a hearing on Tibet, titled “The Human Rights Situation in Tibet and the International Response.” Congressman Jim McGovern, a chairman of the CECC, moderated the event. The whole hearing was live streamed, and a recording can be found here.
The CECC had invited the following to testify: Zeekgyab Rinpoche of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, Matteo Mecacci of International Campaign for Tibet, Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch, and Tenzin Dorjee of Tibet Action Institute. Several other politicians joined intermittently throughout the hearing, such as Representative Andy Levin, Senator Daines, Representative Tom Suozzi, Senator King, and Representative Chris Smith.
Congressman McGovern and many of the speakers spoke on the worrying sinicization of Tibetan culture, in regards mainly to the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan language.
The hearing also discussed the recent NYPD Tibetan spy event, in which Tenzin Dorjee of the Tibet Action Institute detailed the malign efforts of the CCP to derail Tibetan politics through infiltrators; Tenzin Dorjee also explained the skepticism among the New York & New Jersey Tibetans in regards to the Tibetan spy, Baimadajie Angwang, claiming to be Tibetan when he was unable to speak the language with the diverse Tibetan community of NY & NJ.
Congressman McGovern noted that this legislative period has been unprecedented for Tibetans and other CCP oppressed peoples, and he said he hopes the Tibetan Policy and Support Act will be quickly passed in the Senate.
-Filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC