‘US has responsibility to stand up for Tibetan people’s rights’[Sunday, 20 March 2011, 12:33 p.m.]
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| Congresswoman Tammy Balwin/File photo |
A
member of the US Congress has pledged her support for efforts to
address the plight of the Tibetan people, saying the United States has
an obligation to stand up for human rights and the rule of law.DHARAMSHALA:
Rep. Tammy Baldwin, member of the House of Representatives in the
United States Congress, said this on Wednesday while submitting to the
Congress His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s statement on the 52nd
anniversary of the national uprising against the repression on Tibet by
the People’s Republic of China. “Mr. Speaker, March 10 marked
the 52nd anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the People’s
Republic of China, during which His Holiness the Dalai Lama fled to
exile. On that day, there was a small commemoration on Library Mall in
Madison with Wisconsin’s Tibetan-American community, which my staff was
honoured to attend,” Baldin said on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
“While
the commemoration serves as a painful but important reminder of China’s
prolonged efforts to outlaw dissent, restrict free expression, and
violently occupy Tibet, it also serves as a symbol of our sustained
vigilance, continued determination, and enduring hope that Tibetans
everywhere will soon be free to live in peace with their land and
culture intact,” she said.”On this anniversary, I offer support
and conviction to the thousands of Tibetans living in exile and the
thousands more who have chosen to stand beside them in the struggle.
for freedom. I support the Middle-Way Approach proposed by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama to honor the dignity of both Tibetan and Chinese people
and to promote a respectful solution. I strongly believe that the
United States has a responsibility to stand up for human rights and the
rule of law, and I support efforts to address the plight of Tibetans.”Baldwin
commended His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s decision to devolve his
political authority to the elected leadership. “At a time when despots
around the world cling to power as their people yearn for democracy,
the Dalai Lama’s willful ceding of power is a tribute to his vision to
fulfill the aspirations of the Tibetan people and should inspire others
around the world,” she said.
