H. Res. 337 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

July 8, 2015. 

Whereas Tibet is the center of Tibetan Buddhism, and His 

Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most revered figure in 

Tibetan Buddhism worldwide; 

Whereas the Chinese response to the Tibetan Uprising in 

1959 led to the exile of Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 

14th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and temporal leader; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who on July 6, 

2015, celebrates his 80th birthday, has for over 50 years 

in exile significantly advanced greater understanding, tolerance, harmony and respect among the religious faiths 

of the world; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has led the effort 

to preserve the rich cultural, religious, historical and linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people while at the same 

time promoting the safeguarding of other endangered cultures throughout the world; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has personally 

promoted democratic self-government for Tibetans in 

exile and in 2011 turned over political authority to the 

democratically elected leadership of the Central Tibetan 

Administration; 
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Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has been greatly 

concerned by the state of the Tibetan environment and 

the exploitation of its natural resources, including fresh 

water—as rivers originating in the Tibetan plateau support one-third of the world’s population—and has promoted environmental awareness in the region; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the 

Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 in recognition of his efforts 

to seek a peaceful resolution to the situation in Tibet, 

and to promote non-violent methods for resolving conflict; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the 

Congressional Gold Medal in 2007 in recognition of his 

promotion of democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people; his efforts to preserve the cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage of the Tibetan people; his 

promotion of non-violence; and his contributions to global 

religious understanding, human rights, and ecology; 

Whereas His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as the spiritual 

leader of Tibetan Buddhism, publicly presented in 2011 

the religious process which Tibetan Buddhists should follow regarding his reincarnation; 

Whereas the Chinese central government has attempted to 

interfere with the reincarnation process and the practice 

of Tibetan Buddhist religious traditions; and Chinese officials assert that the failure to secure Beijing’s approval 

on the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation would make the process ‘‘illegal’’; 

Whereas in the words of Party official Zhu Weiqun, ‘‘Decision-making power over the reincarnation of the Dalai 

Lama and over the end or survival of his lineage, resides 

with the central government of China.’’; 
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Whereas the Department of State’s International Religious 

Freedom Report for 2013 noted that in Tibetan areas of 

China ‘‘[r]epression was severe and increased around politically sensitive events and religious anniversaries,’’ and 

‘‘[o]fficial interference in the practice of Tibetan Buddhist religious traditions continued to generate profound 

grievances’’; 

Whereas the Department of State has designated China as a 

‘‘country of particular concern’’ (CPC) for religious freedom since 1999, and in its 2013 human rights report details that ‘‘under the banner of maintaining social stability and combating separatism, the [Chinese] government has engaged in the severe repression of Tibet’s 

unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage by, 

among other means, strictly curtailing the civil rights of 

China’s ethnic Tibetan population, including the freedoms of speech, religion, association, assembly, and 

movement’’; 

Whereas access to Tibetan areas of China for United States 

officials, journalists, and other United States citizens, is 

restricted by the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China, obscuring the full impact of the Chinese Government’s policies, including the disappearance of Tibetans 

who sought to share information about human rights 

abuses on the Tibetan Plateau; 

Whereas the Department of State’s 2014 Report on Tibet 

Negotiations noted that ‘‘The Dalai Lama’s representatives and Chinese officials have not met directly since the 

ninth round of dialogue in January 2010.’’; 

Whereas, on March 10, 2015, the elected Tibetan leader 

Sikyong Dr. Lobsang Sangay publicly stated ‘‘The Envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are ready to engage 
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in dialogue with their Chinese counterpart any time and 

any place.’’; 

Whereas it is the objective of the United States Government, 

consistent across administrations of different political 

parties and as articulated in the Tibetan Policy Act of 

2002 (subtitle B of title VI of Public Law 107–228; 22 

U.S.C. 6901 note) to promote dialogue between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai 

Lama or his representatives to reach a negotiated agreement on Tibet; 

Whereas China may be considering convening a Sixth Tibet 

Work Forum to set policy on Tibet for the next five years 

or so, with the last such work forum having been held in 

2010; and 

Whereas the American people have a long-held concern for 

and interest in the plight of the Tibetan people: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) calls on the United States Government to fully 

implement sections 613(a) and 621(c) of the Tibetan 

Policy Act of 2002 by strongly encouraging representatives of the Government of the People’s Republic of 

China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama to hold substantive dialogue, in keeping with the Tibetan Policy Act 

of 2002 and without preconditions, in order to address 

Tibetan grievances and secure a negotiated agreement 

for the Tibetan people; 
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(2) calls on the United States Government to fully 

implement section 618 of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 

in regard to the establishment of an office in Lhasa, 

Tibet, to monitor political, economic and cultural developments in Tibet, and to provide consular protection and 

citizen services; 

(3) urges the United States Government— 

(A) to consistently raise Tibetan human rights 

and political and religious freedom concerns at the 

United States-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue and other high-level bilateral meetings; 

(B) and the Special Coordinator for Tibetan 

Issues to offer their assistance to China in its preparations for a potential future Sixth Tibet Work 

Form; and 

(C) to call for the immediate and unconditional 

release of Tibetan political prisoners, including 

Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama, 

who was taken into custody by the Chinese authorities and has been missing since 1995, Tenzin Delek 

Rinpoche, and Khenpo Kartse (Khenpo Karma 

Tsewang); 

(4) calls on the United States Government to underscore that government interference in the Tibetan reincarnation process is a violation of the internationally 
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recognized right to religious freedom and to highlight 

the fact that other countries besides China have long Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and that matters related to 

reincarnations in Tibetan Buddhism are of keen interest 

to Tibetan Buddhist populations worldwide; 

(5) calls on the United States Government to recognize and increase global public awareness and monitoring of the upcoming electoral process through which 

the Tibetan people in exile will choose the next democratically elected leader of the Central Tibetan Administration, the Sikyong; 

(6) calls on the United States Government to fully 

implement section 616 of the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 

by using its voice and vote to encourage development organizations and agencies to design and implement development projects that fully comply with the Tibet Project 

Principles; 

(7) calls on United States and international governments, organizations, and civil society to renew and reinforce initiatives to promote the preservation of the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity 

of the Tibetan people; 

(8) calls on the Government of the People’s Republic of China to allow unrestricted access to the Tibetan 
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areas of China to United States officials, journalists, and 

other United States citizens; 

(9) affirms the Dalai Lama’s desire for a negotiated 

agreement for the Tibetan people, and urges the Chinese 

government to enter into negotiations with the Dalai 

Lama and his representatives; and 

(10) reaffirms the unwavering friendship between 

the people of the United States and the people of Tibet. 

Attest: 

Clerk.