IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 283

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the December 1997 report

on Tibet of the International Commission of Jurists and on United

States policy on Tibet.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 22, 1998

Mr. BERMAN (for himself, Mr. PORTER, Mrs. MALONEY of New York, Mr.

PAYNE, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mrs.

LOWEY, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. WOLF, Mr. COX of California, Mr. SMITH of

New Jersey, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, and Ms.

PELOSI) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the December 1997 report on Tibet of the International Commission of Jurists and on United States policy on Tibet.

Whereas the International Commission of Jurists is a nongovernmental organization founded in 1952 to defend the

rule of law throughout the world and to work toward the

full observance of the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

Whereas in 1959, 1960, and 1964 the International Commission of Jurists examined Chinese policy in Tibet, violations of human rights in Tibet, and the position of Tibet

in international law;
2

•HCON 283 IH

Whereas these findings were presented to the United Nations

General Assembly, which adopted three resolutions (in

1959, 1961, and 1965) calling on the People’s Republic

of China to ensure respect for the fundamental human

rights of the Tibetan people and for their distinctive cultural and religious life, and to cease practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human

rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination;

Whereas in December 1997, the International Commission of

Jurists issued a fourth report on Tibet, examining human

rights and the rule of law, including self-determination;

Whereas the President of the United States has repeatedly

indicated his support for substantive dialogue between

the Government of the People’s Republic of China and

the Dalai Lama or his representatives; and

Whereas on October 31, 1997, the Secretary of State appointed a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues to oversee United States policy regarding Tibet: Now, therefore,

be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) expresses grave concern regarding the find4 ings of the report of the International Commission

5 of Jurists on Tibet issued in December 1997, that—

6 (A) repression in Tibet has increased

7 steadily since 1994, resulting in heightened con8 trol on religious activity, a denunciation cam9 paign against the Dalai Lama unprecedented
3

•HCON 283 IH

1 since the Cultural Revolution, an increase in

2 political arrests, suppression of peaceful pro3 tests, and an accelerated movement of Chinese

4 people to Tibet; and

5 (B) in 1997, a senior office of the People’s

6 Republic of China labeled the Tibetan Buddhist

7 culture, which has flourished in Tibet since the

8 seventh century, as a ‘‘foreign culture’’ in order

9 to facilitate indoctrination of Tibetans in Chi10 nese socialist ideology and the process of na11 tional and cultural integration;

12 (2) supports the recommendations contained in

13 the report referred to in paragraph (1) that—

14 (A) call on the People’s Republic of

15 China—

16 (i) to enter into discussions with the

17 Dalai Lama or his representatives on a so18 lution to the question of Tibet;

19 (ii) to ensure respect for the fun20 damental human rights of the Tibetan peo21 ple; and

22 (iii) to end those practices which

23 threaten to erode the distinct cultural, reli24 gious, and national identity of the Tibetan

25 people and, in particular, to cease policies
4

•HCON 283 IH

1 which result in the movement of Chinese

2 people to Tibetan territory;

3 (B) call on the United Nations General As4 sembly to resume its debate on the question of

5 Tibet; and

6 (C) call on the Dalai Lama or his rep7 resentatives to enter into discussions with the

8 Government of the People’s Republic of China

9 on a solution to the question of Tibet;

10 (3) commends the appointment by the Sec11 retary of State of a United States Special Coordina12 tor for Tibetan Issues—

13 (A) to promote substantive dialogue be14 tween the Government of the People’s Republic

15 of China and the Dalai Lama or his representa16 tives;

17 (B) to coordinate United States Govern18 ment policies, programs, and projects concern19 ing Tibet;

20 (C) to consult with the Congress on poli21 cies relevant to Tibet and the future and wel22 fare of all Tibetan people, and to report to the

23 Congress in accordance with the requirements

24 of section 536(a) of the Foreign Relations Au-
5

•HCON 283 IH

1 thorization Act, Fiscal Years 1994 and 1995

2 (Public Law 103–236); and

3 (D) to advance United States policy which

4 seeks to protect the unique religious, cultural,

5 and linguistic heritage of Tibet, and to encour6 age improved respect for Tibetan human rights;

7 (4) calls on the People’s Republic of China to

8 release from detention the 9-year-old Panchen

9 Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, to his home in Tibet

10 from which he was taken on May 17, 1995, and to

11 allow him to pursue his religious studies without in12 terference and according to tradition; and

13 (5) calls on the President, as a central objective

14 of the 1998 presidential summit meeting with Jiang

15 Zemin in Beijing, to work toward securing an agree16 ment to begin substantive negotiations between the

17 Government of the People’s Republic of China and

18 the Dalai Lama or his representatives.

Æ