By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, July 26: Penpa Tsering, the President of the exile Tibetan government expressed gratitude to key US politicians who were instrumental for their support in passing the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act” during a ceremony held in the U.S. Senate building on Thursday.
The event was hosted by the International Campaign for Tibet and the Office of Tibet Washington on Capitol Hill. Sikyong Penpa Tsering thanked President Biden, the US Congress, the US Senate, politicians, and their staffers for enacting the Resolve Tibet Act into law. Among those present at the reception at the Capitol Visitor Center were Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Michael McCaul, and Congressman Joe Wilson.
The president of the Central Tibetan Administration visited Washington DC for a series of official engagements from 22 to 25 July during which he also attended the community celebration of the historic act becoming law, at the Capital Area Tibetan Community Center.
In his speech, he said, “It’s very rare for Tibetans to celebrate. There were times when Tibetans celebrated when His Holiness was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize, the US Congressional Gold Medal, and recognitions from many institutions and organisations or otherwise; the Tibet issue became known internationally because of Tibetans suffering inside Tibet. And, for the first time, this is a very momentous day for the Tibetans that we celebrate because of the government’s decision to pass legislation like the Resolve Tibet Act, which challenges every aspect of China’s claim on Tibet.”
He also thanked all the people who worked for the passage of the bill and the cause of Tibet, “As Speaker Pelosi said when she visited Dharamshala, she mentioned that this was also due to the Tibetan people that this bill got passed. So, I am going to thank all the Tibetans in America, the Tibet Support Groups, the Tibetan associations, the Tibetan advocates, particularly the younger generations of Tibet who have been at the Hill this year in March. And I know that there has been a lot of input and support also from the Congressional staffers, some of whom are present here, who have been architects of this bill.”
President Tsering is scheduled to visit Tibetan communities in Madison-Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Chicago over the weekend.
