H. Res. 697 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

November 18, 2020. 

Whereas the Dalai Lama’s principal commitments include 

cultivation of warm-heartedness and such human values 

as compassion and forgiveness; promotion of religious 

harmony; and preservation of Tibetan language and culture and protection of Tibet’s natural environment; 

Whereas the Dalai Lama has stated, ‘‘I remain convinced 

that most human conflicts can be solved through genuine 

dialogue conducted with the spirit of openness and reconciliation’’; 

Whereas, in 1989, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel 

Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle for the liberation 

of Tibet, his advocacy for peaceful solutions to preserve 

Tibetans’ historical and cultural heritage, and his constructive, forward-looking proposals for resolving international conflicts, human rights issues, and global environmental problems; 

Whereas Congress has consistently shown overwhelming, bipartisan, bicameral support for the Tibetan people’s aspirations for internationally recognized human rights and 

freedoms and the protection of their distinct religious, 

cultural, linguistic, and historical identity, including by 

passing the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (Public Law 

107–228; 22 U.S.C. 6901 note); 
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•HRES 697 EH 

Whereas, in 2006, Congress passed the Fourteenth Dalai 

Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act (Public Law 109– 

287; 31 U.S.C. 5111), and in October 2007, President 

George W. Bush, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and other Congressional leaders 

awarded the Dalai Lama the United States Congressional 

Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor awarded by Congress, for his contributions to peace, nonviolence, human 

rights, and religious understanding; 

Whereas Members of Congress have on multiple occasions 

met with the Dalai Lama during congressional delegations overseas, including a bipartisan delegation led by 

then-House Speaker Pelosi to meet with the Dalai Lama 

and the Tibetan exiled community in 2008, a bipartisan 

delegation led by then-House Minority Leader Nancy 

Pelosi in 2017, and a bipartisan delegation from the 

House Democracy Partnership in 2019, to spotlight the 

unjust oppression against the Tibetan people; 

Whereas the Dalai Lama has on multiple occasions visited 

the United States Capitol, including most recently in 

June 2016, during which he met with congressional leadership to promote respectful inter-religious harmony and 

protection of the Tibetan people’s identity, culture, language, and environment; 

Whereas the Department of State finds in its 2020 Report 

to Congress on Access to Tibetan Areas of the People’s 

Republic of China (PRC), as required by the Reciprocal 

Access to Tibet Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–330), that 

the Chinese Government systematically impeded travel to 

the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Tibetan areas 

outside the TAR for United States diplomats and officials, journalists, and tourists in 2019; 
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•HRES 697 EH 

Whereas, in 2018, the Secretary of State convened the firstever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, during 

which the Dalai Lama addressed hundreds of members of 

religious organizations and civil society by video; 

Whereas under the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, it is the policy of the United States to support economic development, cultural preservation, health care, and education 

and environmental sustainability for Tibetans inside 

Tibet; 

Whereas the human rights situation in Tibet has significantly 

deteriorated since the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 was 

signed into law; 

Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China’s 

repeated insistence that it must control the selection of 

the next leader of Tibetan Buddhism, a religion with adherents across the globe including in Mongolia, where a 

2010 census reports 53 percent of individuals ages 15 

and older self-identify as Buddhists, is a gross violation 

of international religious freedom; 

Whereas the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed 

H.R. 4331, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019, 

which reiterates support for the Tibetan community and 

the need to hold Chinese officials responsible for religious 

freedom abuses targeting Tibetan Buddhists; 

Whereas after 35 years, the United States Consulate in 

Chengdu, which was responsible for operations in and 

providing diplomatic reporting on developments concerning Tibetan populations in southwestern China and 

the Tibet Autonomous Region, closed on July 27, 2020; 

and 
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•HRES 697 EH 

Whereas on September 12, 2020, the Dalai Lama addressed 

a virtual session of the Group of Seven annual meeting 

of Speakers and Heads of Parliament hosted by Speaker 

of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi: Now, 

therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

(1) affirms the cultural and religious significance of 

the goal of genuine autonomy for the people of Tibet and 

the deep bond between the American and Tibetan people; 

(2) supports the efforts of the Dalai Lama and the 

Tibetan leadership to achieve genuine autonomy for Tibetans through negotiations without preconditions with 

the People’s Republic of China; 

(3) supports the 14th Dalai Lama’s commitment to 

global peace, nonviolence, human rights, and environmental protection and sustainability; 

(4) urges the swift enactment of the Tibetan Policy 

and Support Act of 2019 to update United States policy 

toward Tibet, particularly on issues related to the succession or reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, water security and environmental concerns in the Tibetan plateau, 

and support for the Tibetan community, language, culture, and religion; 

(5) stresses the urgency of addressing the ongoing 

climate crisis, including in the Tibetan Plateau, and 
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•HRES 697 EH 

working toward environmental and economic justice and 

equality; 

(6) encourages United States diplomats and other 

officials, journalists, and other citizens to seek access to 

Tibetan areas and demand that China provide access 

and treatment reciprocal to access and treatment the 

United States provides to Chinese diplomats and other 

officials, scholars, and others in the United States; 

(7) calls on the Secretary of State to mitigate any 

potential impact the closure of the United States Consulate in Chengdu may have on the Department of 

State’s ability to provide timely reporting on and support 

for Tibetan communities, such as by allocating additional resources to other United States missions in 

China to improve coverage; and 

(8) determines that it would be beneficial to continue years of bipartisan and bicameral engagement with 

the leaders of the Tibetan people, including between 

Members of Congress and His Holiness the 14th Dalai 

Lama. 

Attest: 

Clerk.