05/03/2002 Tibet: Revolutionary Motion for a resolution tabled in the US Congress

Measure Says U.S. Should Consider Recognizing Exiled Tibetans (U.S. would act unless China gives Tibet autonomy in 3 years) Forty-two legislators have submitted a resolution to the House of Representatives calling on the Bush administration to "give serious consideration to recognizing the authorities of Tibet who are currently exiled in Dharamsala, India, as the legitimate representatives of Tibet." The legislators submitted House Resolution 357 (H. Res. 357) March 5, and the proposed resolution was referred to the House International Relations Committee. H. Res. 357 calls for such action if those Tibetans in exile and the Beijing regime do not sign within three years of the date of adoption of the resolution "an agreement that provides for the political autonomy of Tibet."

Backers of the resolution included long-time critics of China's human rights policies, such as Representative Nancy Pelosi (Democrat of California), Representative Frank Wolf (Republican of Virginia), the co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, as well as Representative Frank Pallone (Democrat of New Jersey), the co-founder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and the Communications Vice Chair of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee, Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a frequent critic of China's communist rulers, as well as other lawmakers from both parties spanning the political spectrum from conservative to liberal.

Following is the text of House Resolution 357 from the Congressional Record: 107th CONGRESS 2d Session H. RES. 357 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the recognition of the authorities of Tibet who are currently exiled in Dharamsala, India, as the legitimate representatives of Tibet.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 5, 2002 Mr. ROTHMAN (for himself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. MCCARTHY of Missouri, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. KILPATRICK, Mr. HILLIARD, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. WYNN, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. EVANS, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. TIERNEY, Mr. STARK, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. LEE, Ms. SOLIS, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mr. CAPUANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr. FRANK, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. SANDERS, and Mr. WEXLER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the recognition of the authorities of Tibet who are currently exiled in Dharamsala, India, as the legitimate representatives of Tibet.

Whereas for more than 1,000 years Tibet has maintained a sovereign national identity that is distinct from the national identity of China;

Whereas armed forces of the People's Republic of China invaded and occupied Tibet in 1949 and 1950;

Whereas the Seventeen Point Agreement, which was signed under duress by representatives of the Tibetan Government on May 23, 1951, guaranteed the political autonomy of Tibet;

Whereas the Lhasa Uprising against the People's Republic of China on March 10, 1959, led to the death and imprisonment of thousands of Tibetans and to the exile of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader;

Whereas in 1959, 1961, and 1965 the United Nations General Assembly passed resolutions expressing concern about the situation in Tibet, one of which called for `the cessation of practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination';

Whereas the People's Republic of China has failed to provide Tibetans in Tibetan autonomous areas any genuine political autonomy;

Whereas in 1992 the People's Republic of China designated Tibet as a special economic zone for the express purpose of encouraging Chinese resettlement in Tibet, which would in time make Tibetans a minority in their own homeland;

Whereas the People's Republic of China appears unwilling to negotiate a new agreement with Tibet that would guarantee genuine political autonomy to Tibetans;

Whereas the Dalai Lama has repeatedly endorsed a compromise that would guarantee Tibetans broad autonomy within the People's Republic of China;

Whereas the authorities of Tibet who live in exile in Dharamsala, India, administer all matters pertaining to exiled Tibetans, including the preservation and development of Tibetan culture and education, and the struggle to restore the freedom of Tibet; and

Whereas the exiled authorities of Tibet are organized according to modern democratic principles, which stands in stark contrast to the autocratic rule presently exercised over Tibet by the People's Republic of China:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved,

That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the President should give serious consideration to recognizing the authorities of Tibet who are currently exiled in Dharamsala, India, as the legitimate representatives of Tibet, if such authorities and the Government of the People's Republic of China have not signed, within 3 years of the date of the adoption of this resolution, an agreement that provides for the political autonomy of Tibet.