International Campaign for Tibet

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

US House of Representatives Sends Strong Tibet Message to China and Bush
on Eve of Beijing Olympics
ICT press release, July 31, 2008
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday condemned China
for its ‘broken promises’ in the buildup to the Olympics and called upon
President Bush, who is attending the Games’ Opening Ceremonies, to make a
strong public statement in Beijing about China’s repression of human rights and
to request a visit to Tibet.
“President Bush must use the opportunity provided by his attendance at
the Olympics to make clear to President Hu that the United States expects the
Chinese to begin sincere and concrete negotiations with the Dalai Lama on the
future of Tibet,” said Todd Stein, ICT’s Director of Government Relations. “The
House expects progress not promises at a time of crisis for the Tibetan people.
ICT commends the House leadership and Chairman Berman and his Foreign Affairs
Committee colleagues for advancing this timely legislation.”
H.Res. 1370, passed yesterday by a vote of 419 to 1, cites the Chinese
government’s refusal to engage the Dalai Lama in substantive, face-to-face
discussions on the future of Tibet, its failure to meet international standards
for refugee protection (citing the shooting of a 17-year old Tibetan nun
escaping into exile by Chinese border guards), and its broken promise to allow
full media access to China and Tibet. Since March, the Tibetan plateau has been
virtually sealed off to the outside world following a tidal wave of protests
against Chinese rule, and is now under martial law in all but name.
The resolution calls on President Bush to press the Chinese government
to:

“begin earnest negotiations, without preconditions, directly with
His Holiness the Dalai Lama or his representatives, on the future of Tibet to
provide for a mutually agreeable solution that addresses the legitimate
grievances of, and provides genuine autonomy for, the Tibetan people;”

seek to visit Tibet while in China;

guarantee unrestricted travel by journalists and visitors to Tibet;


and

make a strong public statement on China’s human rights situation,
both prior to his departure and while in Beijing.

The resolution was introduced by Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), Chairman of
the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and was approved by the bipartisan
committee on July 24.
This action by the House mirrors a resolution adopted by the European
Parliament earlier this month, and reflects a series of recent reports by
leading international human rights organizations critiquing China’s human
rights performance on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. On August 6, the
International Campaign for Tibet will release a comprehensive report on the
stepped up campaign of repression against Tibetans since the March uprising.
Other reports include those by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and
Reporters Without Borders.
Press contact:
Kate Saunders

Communications Director, ICT

Tel: +44 7947 138612

email: press@savetibet.org
 
 

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