Resolve Tibet Act presented to President’s office for signature, says CTA Prez

By Tenzin Nyidon 

DHARAMSHALA, July 11: The Resolve Tibet Act, officially known as the “Promoting a Resolution to Tibet-China Dispute Act,” is on the brink of becoming law. The bill has been presented to the President’s office for signature, according to the executive head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Sikyong Penpa Tsering. Tsering, who is currently on an official visit to Ladakh, made this announcement on Thursday while speaking to the public there.

“The bill has been presented to the President’s office. It has already been endorsed by Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill is expected to be signed by the President within the next 10 days,” Sikyong Penpa Tsering stated in his address to the residents of Jangthang Nyoma.

The Resolve Tibet Act previously passed the House of Representatives on February 15 and the Senate on May 23. The Senate’s version, which included minor changes from the earlier House version, required the House’s approval again. The bill will become law once President Joe Biden signs it within the next 10 days (excluding Sundays).

The bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act asserts that the ongoing dispute between Tibet and China remains unresolved and must be addressed in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter, through peaceful means and dialogue.

The bill challenges Beijing’s claim that Tibet has been part of China since ancient times and defines Tibet to include not only the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) but also the Tibetan areas in the provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan. While the Chinese government typically refers to Tibet as the TAR alone, Tibetans consider historical Tibet to encompass both the TAR and the additional areas defined in this bill. The Chinese government formally established the TAR in 1965.

Furthermore, the bill specifies that the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues will be responsible for ensuring that U.S. government statements and documents counter disinformation spread by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party about Tibet, including false narratives about Tibet’s history and institutions. The bill also authorises the office to undertake additional actions to counter such disinformation.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Office of Tibet-Washington, International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), various grassroots organisations as well as numerous activists, students, and supporters of Tibet have been actively lobbying for the bill’s passage.