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US President Joe Biden signed the Resolve Tibet Act on Friday, July 12, sending a message to Beijing to peacefully resolve the Tibet issue through negotiation. The law states that American policy considers the Tibet issue to be resolved through peaceful dialogue without preconditions, in accordance with international law.
The Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, known as the Resolve Tibet Act, challenges China’s claims about Tibet’s history and mandates the State Department to counter disinformation.
International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) President Tencho Gyatso responded: “The Resolve Tibet Act cuts to the heart of China’s brutal treatment of the Tibetan people. To Tibetans, it is a statement of hope. To other countries, it is a clarion call to support Tibet’s peaceful struggle for human rights and democratic freedoms. And to Beijing, it is a declaration that American support for Tibet does not come with an expiration date; China must resume dialogue and find a solution that supports the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.”
The Act defines Tibetans as distinct people and acknowledges that Chinese policies are suppressing Tibetan religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity. It also stated that Chinese policies are systematically suppressing the ability of the Tibetan people to preserve their way of life.
It aligns with the Dalai Lama’s calls for genuine autonomy and international law principles of self-determination.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed hope the law will “put the people of Tibet in charge of their own future.”
ICT President Gyatso urged swift action: “President Biden promised his administration would stand up for the people of Tibet. There is not a moment to lose. Experienced State Department officials like Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya now have a valuable tool to elevate their calls for negotiations and fulfill the core objective of the Special Coordinator’s office: promoting substantive dialogue, without preconditions, between China and the Dalai Lama, his representatives, or democratically elected Tibetan leaders in support of a negotiated agreement on Tibet.”
The Act resulted from three years of effort by Congress members, Tibet supporters, and Tibetan Americans. Representatives Jim McGovern and Michael McCaul led the House, while Senators Jeff Merkley and Todd Young introduced the Bill in the Senate.
Rep. Jim McGovern stated: “I am thrilled. The United States once again affirms our strong support for the rights of the Tibetan people under international law, including their right to self-determination. With its bipartisan passage, we hope to restart dialogue between Tibet and China to resolve the decades-long dispute over Tibet’s autonomy and governance in keeping with US policy. The Tibetans are willing; the People’s Republic of China should come to the table.”
Rep. Michael McCaul added: “This Bill makes it clear the United States believes Tibet has its unique language, religion, and culture, and has a right to self-determination.”
Namgyal Choedup, Representative of the Dalai Lama and Central Tibetan Administration to North America, said: “The bipartisan and bicameral passage of the Tibet Bill and the signing of the bill into law by President Biden is a huge moral boost to the Tibetan people, who continues to suffer PRC’s systematic repression. This is a clear indication of the unwavering support of the US government and its people towards the just cause of the Tibetan people. This is a call to Beijing that the only solution to Tibet China dispute is through dialogue and negotiation in good faith.”
The 14th Dalai Lama, who turned 89 on July 6, is currently in the US recovering from knee surgery.
