By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, July 23: A Congressional briefing marked ‘Captive Nations Week 2025’ by spotlighting the ongoing struggles of East Turkistan, Tibet, and Southern Mongolia held in the Rayburn House Office Building of the U.S. Congress in Washington DC on Monday.
Organised under Public Law 86-90 of the United States , the Captive Nations Resolution of 1959, the event brought together exiled leaders, national security experts, and Congressional staff to address what speakers described as the continued occupation, cultural genocide, and political erasure of these nations under the Chinese Communist regime.
The Captive Nations Resolution formally recognises nations oppressed by communist imperialism and calls on the United States to support their liberation. East Turkestan and Tibet are explicitly named in the resolution, underscoring the legal and historical significance of U.S. advocacy for their independence.
Tenzin Wangdu, a Tibetan-American activist representing the Tibetan Rangzen (independence) movement, affirmed Tibet’s long-standing sovereignty, stating, “Tibet has never been legally recognised as part of China. Our unique culture, language, and governance flourished for over a thousand years before the 1951 invasion.”
Rejecting narratives of “peaceful liberation,” Wangdu called for an end to “empty statements” and demanded concrete action. “Only independence can guarantee the survival of the Tibetan people,” he emphasised.
Salih Hudayar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Security for the East Turkistan Government in Exile, delivered a keynote address, affirming, “East Turkestan was named in the 1959 resolution not as part of China, but as a nation under communist occupation. That law is still in effect—and tragically, so is our captivity.”
Hudayar outlined what he described as an ongoing genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan, including the mass incarceration of millions, forced separation of over one million children from their families, and the harvesting of organs from thousands of detained youths—a claim corroborated by 2024 Congressional testimony.
Hudayar urged Congress to formally recognise East Turkistan as an occupied nation, hold hearings on its struggle for independence, and investigate CCP infiltration and repression within the Uyghur diaspora. “Removing the CCP is not enough,” he said. “The Chinese empire must be dismantled.”
Speaking on behalf of Southern Mongolia, Korean-American journalist Se Hoon Kim detailed Beijing’s campaign to eliminate Mongolian cultural identity through language suppression, assimilation policies, and marginalisation of traditional life. “This is not merely a crackdown,” Kim warned, “but a deliberate erasure of an ancient heritage.”
The event concluded with a joint statement and proclamation from the representatives of East Turkistan, Tibet, Southern Mongolia, and other oppressed peoples. It declared, “The right of all captive nations to recover their independence and exercise national sovereignty is absolute and non-negotiable.” The declaration pledged to continue the struggle until liberty and justice are restored.
The Captive Nations Resolution of 1959, formally known as Public Law 86-90, is a United States Congressional resolution that designated the third week of July as “Captive Nations Week.” This resolution was a symbolic gesture aimed at raising awareness about nations that were under the control of communist or other non-democratic regimes, particularly those within the Soviet bloc. It also encouraged the American people to support the aspirations of these nations for freedom and independence.
Congratulations to the RANGZEN HEROES OF TIBET! IT IS VITAL THAT TIBET MUST THROW COMMUNIST CHINA’S YOKE AND ASSERT OUR INALIENABLE RIGHT TO INDEPENDENCE! There should be no illusions that this will be a Herculean task but we must preserve the HISTORICAL FACT OF TIBET’S INDEPENDENCE. This is the only foundation for the ownership of our country. The Dalai Lama is a holy man and he lives on a different level from ordinary beings. His idea is full of idealism just like Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru was an internationalist and strongly anti-west and pro-socialism and very sympathetic to communism. He dreamt of a socialist unity with communist China to thwart western imperialism. He never ever imagined in his wildest of dreams that communist China will invade his country. He did everything to placate the Chinese communists including putting all his good offices to admit Communist China in the UN and cast out Republic of China who were representing China at the UN. He endorsed Chinese communist baseless claims over Tibet. India was the first country to recognise communist China! However, despite all his efforts to befriend the communist regime, he got no acknowledgement for his friendly gestures and in fact called him a lackey of the west. The Dalai Lama has very similar traits where he believes that “we are ALL HUMAN BEINGS” and should live in peace and harmony. However, the real world is not like that. Human beings have been fighting through out the ages and will do so till the end of time. ITS OUR NATURE! Tibetans gave up conquest and military campaigns after the Tibetan empire disintegrated in the 9th century. The occupation of Tibet by communist China is the result of Tibet’s inability to wage war! If we had prepared for war and took precautions about our national security, the Chinese would have second thoughts to invade a country with such difficult terrain and hostile environment. It is one of the reasons why, the Chinese forced Tibet to sign the “17 point treaty” to make sure that they don’t get bogged down in a hostile country without the prospect of winning the war. It was a trap the Chinese set and we walked into the Chinese communist trap! Like Nehru, despite the Dalai Lama’s gesture of friendship for the last seventy years by not demanding independence but genuine autonomy, the CCP only rebuffed him at every step of the way and never acknowledged his good will for all these years! The only thing the Dalai Lama got in return was name calling, abuse, denigration and constant attempts to tarnish his reputation! The CCP never even admitted that there is a conflict between Tibet and communist China! They made it look like a personal grudge of the Dalai Lama against the CCP. Foolishly, our politicians played into Chinese communist narrative and made it look like the Chinese coining of the conflict. THE ISSUE BETWEEN TIBET AND CHINA IS NOT ABOUT THE DALAI LAMA! IT IS THE OWNERSHIP OF TIBET. THE SIX MILLION TIBETANS ARE THE INHERENT CUSTODIANS OF TIBET. THIS IS THE CENTRAL ISSUE OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN TIBET AND CHINA! The Dalai Lama in deference to Chinese demands didn’t insist on independence but the CCP didn’t ever have a sympathetic appraisal and rejected all the overtures he made as “separatism”! They illegally occupied our country and enslaved us and murdered 1.2 million Tibetans and destroyed more than 6000 monasteries but have never even gave a hint of apology for their wilful vandalism. We therefore must understand that, our struggle must make the CCP nervous, jittery and worrisome. This is by fighting for total independence that Tibet enjoyed before the brutal and illegal occupation by the illegitimate CCP regime. What Tibetans should know is that China has been an entity of desperate countries cobbled together by force. They have been fighting among themselves with warlordism, civil wars and local wars. It was never a cohesive entity. After the violent communist take over in 1949, they were able to once again bring a semblance of unity by sheer force but this will only last until the CCP has its tight grip. Once the CCP falls which it will for sure as no regime lasts forever, it will cause the break up. We saw that in Eastern Europe with the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia! Therefore, this will be repeated with communist China. At such an event, the Chinese will not leave Tibet on their own will. So, we must prepare for armed struggle. This is inevitable to gain Tibet’s independence. By disavowing war, we lost our country. We will have to take arms in order to gain our independence once again!