US President signs act to support rights of Tibetans

President Joe Biden signed the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act [read his message here], popularly known as the Resolve Tibet Act, earlier today. The law states that it is American policy that the Tibet issue must be resolved in accordance with international law by peaceful means, through dialogue without preconditions.

It also takes aim at China’s lies about Tibet, calling on China to stop propagating disinformation about Tibet’s history and giving the State Department a new mandate to directly counter these false claims.

“The Resolve Tibet Act cuts to the heart of China’s brutal treatment of the Tibetan people,” said Tencho Gyatso, President of the International Campaign for Tibet. “To Tibetans it is a statement of hope. To other countries it is a clarion call to support Tibet’s peaceful struggle for human rights and democratic freedoms. And to Beijing it is a declaration that American support for Tibet does not come with an expiration date; China must resume dialogue and find a solution that supports the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.”

One key feature of the bill is defining the Tibetan people as a people with their own distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. It then states that Chinese policies are systematically suppressing the ability of the Tibetan people to preserve their way of life.

The Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for China to grant genuine autonomy to the Tibetan people, and it is clear under international law that people are entitled to self-determination. When House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) spoke before it passed Congress, he expressed his hopes that the new law will help “put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken frequently refers to support for self-determination as a core principle of American foreign policy. President Biden previously pledged to push Beijing to “return to direct dialogue with the representatives of the Tibetan people to achieve meaningful autonomy, respect for human rights, and the preservation of Tibet’s environment as well as its unique cultural, linguistic and religious traditions.”

Now that the Resolve Tibet Act is law, the onus is on the State Department and the White House to vigorously champion genuine negotiation and overcome Beijing’s stalling tactics.

“President Biden promised his administration would stand up for the people of Tibet,” said ICT President Tencho Gyatso. “There is not a moment to lose. Experienced State Department officials like Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya now have a valuable tool to elevate their calls for negotiations and fulfill the core objective of the Special Coordinator’s office: promoting substantive dialogue, without preconditions, between China and the Dalai Lama, his representatives, or democratically elected Tibetan leaders in support of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.”

The Resolve Tibet Act became law after three years of effort by a select group of members of Congress backed by a broad range of Tibet supporters and Tibetan Americans.

Senior leaders of the Central Tibetan Administration and the ICT board and staff met with Congressional leaders to brief them on the situation in Tibet and discuss how new initiatives could help. Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Michael McCaul (R-TX) took the lead in the House, while Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Todd Young (R-IN) introduced the bill in the Senate. All four leads and their staff worked tirelessly to put this law in place.

Advocates for Tibet helped at every step along the way. These efforts included testimony from international law scholars, grassroots advocacy by Tibetan Associations, waves of petitions from ICT members, record-breaking turnout at Tibet Lobby Day, and coordination between the Office of Tibet, the International Campaign for Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, and other prominent Tibet groups.

“It was inspiring to witness such a positive response to the Resolve Tibet Act from across the country and around the world,” said ICT President Tencho Gyatso. “It is clear how much can be accomplished when citizens, organizations, and dedicated decision makers unite. Moving forward, I know we can build on today’s extraordinary accomplishment.”

“As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says, change only takes place through action,” she added.

The Resolve Tibet Act’s lead sponsors put out videos celebrating the passage of the bill, partially transcribed below. Separately, Tibetan leader Namgyal Choedup issued a statement:

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-MA, said: “I am thrilled. The United States once again affirms our strong support for the rights of the Tibetan people under international law, including their right to self-determination.

With its bipartisan passage, we hope to restart dialogue between Tibet and China to resolve the decades-long dispute over Tibet’s autonomy and governance in keeping with U.S. policy. The Tibetans are willing; the People’s Republic of China should come to the table.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-TX, said during his recent visit to Dharamsala: “We are here just one week after the House of Representatives and the Congress passed the Resolve Tibet Act. This bill makes it clear the United States believes Tibet has its own unique language, religion and culture, and has a right to self-determination. The bill also requires the State Department to aggressively challenge CCP propaganda about Tibet.”

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, said: “All people should have the right to live in peace and decide their own future. But the people of Tibet have not had those freedoms for more than 70 years. We just took an important step toward changing that.

President Biden signed into law my bipartisan bill to support Tibet, which passed Congress overwhelmingly. This bill empowers the State Department to counter the Chinese government’s attempt to rewrite or in some cases erase history, and it encourages dialogue between the leaders of Tibet and China to reach a peaceful resolution.”

Sen. Todd Young, R-IN, said: “Over the past several years, I’ve worked with my colleague Jeff Merkley on legislation to encourage a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Tibet and China.

I want to thank the Office of Tibet and the International Campaign for Tibet for your tireless advocacy for this legislation. Your brave leadership on this issue has been instrumental in making the case for why American leadership, grounded in liberal values like pluralism, religious freedom, and self-determination, is so critical to ensuring a safer, more secure future for Tibet and the Tibetan people.”

Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration to North America Namgyal Choedup said: “The bipartisan and bicameral passage of the Tibet bill and the signing of the bill into law by President Biden is a huge moral boost to the Tibetan people, who continues to suffer PRC’s systematic repression. This is a clear indication of unwavering support of the US government and its people towards the just cause of Tibetan people. This is a call to Beijing that the only solution to Tibet China dispute is through dialogue and negotiation in good faith.”

The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act states that it is US policy that the dispute between Tibet and China remains unresolved in accordance with international law.

Empowers the Special Coordinator for Tibet to actively and directly counter disinformation about Tibet from the Chinese government and Communist Party, including working to ensure that US government statements and documents counter disinformation about Tibet.

Rejects as “inaccurate” China’s false claims that Tibet has been part of China since “ancient times.”

Promotes substantive dialogue without preconditions between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or the democratically elected leaders of the Tibetan community. The US could also explore activities to improve prospects for dialogue leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

Affirms the State Department ‘s responsibility to coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts toward the goal of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

Encourages China’s government to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people regarding their distinct historical, cultural, religious and linguistic identity.