III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 504 

Condemning the violence in Tibet and calling for restraint by the Government 

of the People’s Republic of China and the people of Tibet. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 7, 2008 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. SMITH, Mr. BIDEN, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. 

BROWN, Mrs. DOLE, Ms. CANTWELL, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. 

COLLINS, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. BYRD, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. SCHUMER, and 

Mrs. MURRAY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the violence in Tibet and calling for restraint 

by the Government of the People’s Republic of China 

and the people of Tibet. 

Whereas, beginning on March 10, 2008, Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhist monks began demonstrations in Lhasa, 

the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas those protests spread to elsewhere in the Tibet Autonomous Region and to Tibetan autonomous areas in 

the Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghan provinces of China; 

Whereas long-suppressed resentment prompted violent clashes 

between demonstrators and government forces in the 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 504 IS 

streets of Lhasa, resulting in innocent civilian casualties, 

the burning of buildings, and extensive property damage; 

Whereas Chinese and Tibetan sources report dozens of fatalities and the arrest of more than 1,000 protesters in the 

Tibet Autonomous Region and surrounding Tibetan areas 

of China; 

Whereas Tibet is the center of Tibetan Buddhism and the 

Dalai Lama is the most revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism; 

Whereas the Government of China continues to restrict the 

rights of Tibetan Buddhists to practice their religion 

freely; 

Whereas the Dalai Lama has condemned the violence that 

began on March 14, 2008, and announced his continuing 

support for the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing, 

China; 

Whereas the Dalai Lama has specifically stated that he does 

not seek independence for Tibet from China and has 

called for negotiations to bring about meaningful autonomy for Tibet that allows Tibetans to maintain their distinctive identity within China; 

Whereas the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China 

guarantees freedom of religious belief for all citizens, but 

the 2007 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom of the Department of State states that ‘‘[d]uring the 

period covered by this report, the Government [of 

China]’s respect for freedom of religion remained poor’’; 

and 

Whereas, following the demonstrations that began on March 

10, 2008, the Government of China began severely restricting access to journalists and diplomats and creating 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 504 IS 

a shortage of independent verification of the situation on 

the ground in Tibet: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) condemns the violence in Tibet and calls for 

3 restraint by the Government of the People’s Repub4 lic of China and the people of Tibet; 

5 (2) calls for a dialogue between the leadership 

6 of the Government of China and His Holiness the 

7 Dalai Lama on meaningful religious and cultural au8 tonomy for Tibet within China and urges that these 

9 discussions take place with all deliberate speed; 

10 (3) calls for the release of individuals who pro11 tested in a peaceful manner and for medical care for 

12 those injured and wounded in the violence that fol13 lowed the protests; 

14 (4) calls on the Government of China to cease 

15 its efforts to enter monasteries to ‘reeducate’ monks 

16 and nuns, to respect the right of the people of Tibet 

17 to speak of the Dalai Lama and possess his photo18 graph, and to respect and protect basic human 

19 rights, as provided in the Constitution of the Peo20 ple’s Republic of China; 

21 (5) calls on the Government of China to honor 

22 its commitment to allow international journalists 

23 free access to China from mid-2007 to October 17, 

24 2008; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 504 IS 

1 (6) calls on the Government of China to provide 

2 a full accounting of the March 2008 protests in 

3 Tibet, the response of the Government of China, and 

4 the manner and number of detentions and deaths 

5 that occurred following the protests; and 

6 (7) both— 

7 (A) calls on the United States Department 

8 of State to fully implement the Tibetan Policy 

9 Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note), including 

10 the stipulation that the Secretary of State seek 

11 ‘‘to establish an office in Lhasa, Tibet, to mon12 itor political, economic, and cultural develop13 ments in Tibet’’, and also to provide consular 

14 protection and citizen services in emergencies; 

15 and 

16 (B) urges that the agreement to permit 

17 China to open further diplomatic missions in 

18 the United States should be contingent upon 

19 the establishment of a United States Govern20 ment office in Lhasa, Tibet. 

Æ 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS