By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, July 13: The United States President Joe Biden signed the Resolve Tibet Act earlier today, officially making it a law. The Resolve Tibet Act, formally known as the “Promoting a Resolution to Tibet-China Dispute Act,” marks a milestone in the ongoing efforts to address the Tibet-China conflict. The legislation aims to promote a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict between Tibet and China.
“Today, I have signed into law S. 138, the “Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act” (the “Act”). I share the Congress’s bipartisan commitment to advancing the human rights of Tibetans and supporting efforts to preserve their distinct linguistic, cultural, and religious heritage. My Administration will continue to call on the People’s Republic of China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet,” President Biden stated.
The bipartisan Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act asserts that the ongoing conflict 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 bill was introduced by Representatives Jim McGovern D-Mass., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas, along with Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Todd Young, R-Ind. which was previously passed the House of Representatives on February 15 and the Senate on May 23. 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.
3 Responses
Joe burden has added an unfortunate sentence, unnecessarily, into this act , which said ” it’s within my authority to decide upon nature territories” after emphasizing that ” both TAR ( utsang)and Tibetan areas of china ( khan and amdo) are part of china.”
Tibetan govt and NGOs must write to Joe burden to withdraw that unnecessary sentence.
Disinformation and misinformation is a serious ethical matter in this age, embraced by all kinds of entities such climate change deniers as well as climate change embracers, by presidents and by roadside pickpockets.
Disinformation spread by USA president Joe Biden about Tibet being part of china is an act of evil, something disgusting. But we Tibetans have to understand that lying doesn’t have the same moral repercussions as we do in Tibetan society. In some cultures, lying is deemed normal, we Tibetans have to accept that other people lie and deceive. You can’t expect anyone else in the world to be as honest as you are – that’s delusional. Carnivores exists. Solutions – equamnity, as Buddha prescribed. Wait for the evil to slowly die out. Breathe. One day God will reward the kind and punish the evil.
We have a saying in Tibetan which goes like this: དང་པོ་དགའ་རུ་བཅུག་ མཇུག་ཏུ་ངུ་རུ་བཅུག་ (First make them happy and later make them cry). President Joe Biden did exactly that! We assumed he would sign the Resolve Tibet Act and we would be very thankful and we would rejoice this milestone! Unfortunately, whatever was promised in the Resolve Tibet Act was contradicted by Biden’s letter that repeated the same tired and worn out US policy towards Tibet! It was like pouring cold water into the fire! Yes, his words are not part of the law but still it diluted the rather promising Tibet Act that gave joy to many thousands of Tibetans. Biden lived to his reputation as Beijing Biden by smothering all the positive sound bites of the Tibet Resolve Act and brought it back to square one! Joe Biden was obviously responding to the CCP’s statement which said, “we urge the US side adhere to its commitment of recognising Tibet as part of China and not supporting Tibetan independence. China will take resolute measures to firmly defend its sovereignty, security and developments interests”. Biden is a friend of the Chinese dictator Xi for a long time. The fact that it took him so long to sign, demonstrates his hesitation and he had been discussing it after the Chinese protest both officially and perhaps through his son who had been visiting his him at the White House. Unfortunately, the US endorsed Chinese claims over Tibet during the time of Republican China who were allies against Japan in the second world War. The Kuomintang wolves prevailed in preventing the Tibetan delegation led by Shakabpa from meeting the then US President Truman during their visit to the US. Tibet was caught in the machinations of imperialist China and US caved in to Chinese fabricated claims over Tibet because they knew no better and Republican China was its ally. However, Tibetan independence was FULL DISPLAY WHEN TIBET REFUSED AMERICAN ARMS TO BE TRANSPORTED TO CHINA THROUGH TIBETAN TERRITORY AND THE AMERICANS HAD TO TRANSPORT THEM BY PLANE TO KUNMING! THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IRREFUTABLE TESTAMENT OF TIBETAN INDEPENDENCE! Tibet refused American weapons and munitions to be transported through Tibet to China because it wanted to remain neutral in the war between Japan on one side and the US and Republican China on the other. This clearly proves that Tibet was in full control of its territory and brooked no interference from any quarter! Tibet was used as a football by the Chinese, British and Russian imperialists for their “great game” in Asia and Joe Biden seems to be following the same imperialist footsteps of a by gone age and keep Tibet enslaved by communist China. If Tibet was “historically part of China” where is the need for American and Indian recognition as “part of China”? Does China need American and Indian recognition of Shanghai as part of China? This alone demonstrate that TIBET WAS NEVER PART OF CHINA. IT IS CLEARLY DEPICTED BY THE BORDER BETWEEN TIBET AND INDIA AS THE INDO- TIBET BORDER UNTIL CHINA ILLEGALLY AND FORCIBLY OCCUPIED TIBET IN 1949/50!!! That is why it is seeking recognition from foreign countries to to gain legitimacy for its illegal occupation! The Tibetan people are extremely grateful to the people of America and the Democratic Party snd Republican Party and their Tibet supporters for their bipartisan support for REJECTING Chinese communist propaganda about “historical claims” over Tibet and the recognition of the Tibetan people’s RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION! It is hoped that American leaders support the aspirations of the PEOPLE OF TIBET rather than the fabricated claims of a imperialist totalitarian regime!