U.S. Senate resolution calls on China to end interference in Tibetan Buddhism
DHARAMSALA, April, 27: The U.S. Senate has unanimously passed a resolution to support the human rights and religious freedom of the Tibetan people and Tibetan Buddhists including the identification and installation of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders on Wednesday.
The Resolution introduced in the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) specifically mentioned the right of Tibetan Buddhists to determine their own leadership, including the reincarnation of the future 15th Dalai Lama in accordance with the inalienable right to religious freedom without the Chinese government’s meddling.
The resolution also affirmed the United State’s support for the Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination and the protection of their distinct identity.
Further, the resolution commemorates the 59th anniversary of Tibet’s 1959 uprising against Chinese rule as ‘Tibetan Rights Day, ‘and the Senate called on the Secretary of State to fully implement the provisions of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002.
“We stand by the Tibetan people, who have long been our unwavering friends,” Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress and added “We also stand by the rights of Tibetan Buddhists, not just in Tibet but around the world, who should be able to determine their own religious leadership in accordance with their inalienable right to religious freedom.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Representatives Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Randy Hultgren (R-Ill.) have introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.
The Resolution is the first ever that the U.S. legislature has passed to support the Tibetan Buddhist community’s right over the reincarnation of their religious leaders and the political head of the Tibetan people, President Sangay has expressed deep gratitude to the US Senate for their support.
“This resolution stands up for the Tibetan people’s inalienable rights and opposes any attempt by external actors, specifically the People’s Republic of China, to interfere in the reincarnation selection process. The unanimous support from the US Senate sends a powerful message to the international community and to China in particular. It sets a precedent for other nations to follow,” President Sangay was quoted as saying in the official webpage of the Tibetan administration, tibet.net.
