US House of Representatives approves suspension motion to resolve Tibet law and now goes to the President

Dharamshala: The Resolve Tibet bill moved closer to passage when the US House of Representatives passed a motion to stay the Senate version of the bill on Wednesday, June 12, a day after it was introduced in the House. By a vote of 391 to 26, the House passed the amended bill on Wednesday morning.

The bill will now be forwarded to President Biden’s office for final approval.

Bill S.138, titled “An Act to Promote a Resolution of the Tibet-China Conflict,” is the Senate version of the bipartisan bill H.R. 533, which the House of Representatives previously passed overwhelmingly on February 15. The bill was then sent to the Senate, where it was amended by a single paragraph as S.138 and received unanimous support on May 23. The Senate-amended bill returned to the House of Representatives for consideration.

On June 11, the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), introduced the bill and urged members of the House to vote for it, along with Rep. Bill Keating, who also strongly supported the bill.

Rep. Michael McCaul said, “The United States has never accepted that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times, as the CCP falsely claims. This bill clarifies U.S. policy and highlights the unique language, religion, and culture of the Tibetan people. It directs U.S. diplomacy to push back against CCP propaganda. In addition, it ensures that Tibetans have a say in their own future. This bill emphasizes the need for dialogue between the CCP and other democratically elected leaders of Tibet. Any solution must include the wishes and voice of the Tibetan people… The passage of this legislation demonstrates America’s determination that the CCP’s status quo in Tibet is unacceptable, and I can think of no greater message or gift to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people than the swift passage of this legislation so that it gets to the President’s desk as soon as possible and helps the Tibetan people take control of their own future.”

Representative Bill Keating said, “For too long, Beijing has oppressed the Tibetan people and failed in its commitment to engage in meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and his representatives about the future of Tibet… (The bill) denounces Beijing’s repressive tactics and relentless disinformation. This bill reaffirms our unwavering support for Tibetan causes and calls on the People’s Republic of China to engage in genuine dialogue with Tibetan representatives. It also strengthens the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 by increasing our public diplomacy efforts to counter the People’s Republic of China’s disinformation about Tibet.”

Representative Jim McGovern, who authored the bill, said: “The world is full of conflict. At the heart of many conflicts is the systematic disregard for a people’s human rights, and the decades-long conflict between Tibet and China began as an armed conflict of invasion, resistance, and insurrection. In the long term, the only guarantee against a resumption of violence is that the People’s Republic of China fully respects the human rights and dignity of the Tibetan people. A vote for this bill is a vote for recognizing the rights of the Tibetan people and a vote for insisting on a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Tibet and the People’s Republic of China in accordance with international law, through dialogue and without preconditions.”