IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 157

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding several individuals who are being held as prisoners of conscience by the Chinese 

Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of Tibet. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 20, 2003

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico (for himself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. ROHRABACHER, 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mr. WOLF) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding several individuals who are being held as prisoners 

of conscience by the Chinese Government for their involvement in efforts to end the Chinese occupation of 

Tibet.

Whereas for more than 1,000 years Tibet has maintained a 

sovereign national identity that is distinct from the national identity of China; 

Whereas armed forces of the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet in 1949 and 1950 and have occupied it since 

then; 

Whereas according to the United States Department of State 

and international human rights organizations, the Gov-
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ernment of the People’s Republic of China continues to 

commit widespread and well-documented human rights 

abuses in China and Tibet; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China has yet to demonstrate its willingness to abide by internationally accepted norms of freedom of belief, expression, and association 

by repealing or amending laws and decrees that restrict 

those freedoms; 

Whereas the Chinese Government has detained hundreds of 

Tibetan nuns, monks and lay persons as prisoners of conscience for their efforts in speaking out against the Chinese occupation of Tibet; 

Whereas on October 14, 1989, Phuntsog Nyidron, a Tibetan 

Buddhist nun, and 5 other nuns from the Michungri 

Nunnery were arrested in Lhasa after chanting some slogans and marching in a procession as part of a peaceful 

demonstration that they organized to protest the Chinese 

occupation of Tibet; 

Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron and the other nuns were kicked, 

beaten and given electric shocks on their hands, shoulders, breasts, tongue, and face while in Chinese custody; 

Whereas in 1993, Phuntsog Nyidron and 13 other nuns secretly recorded songs about Tibetan independence and 

smuggled the recordings out of Drapchi prison; 

Whereas the Chinese Government charged Phuntsog Nyidron 

with ‘‘spreading counter-revolutionary propaganda’’ for 

her role in recording and smuggling out the taped songs 

and, on October 9, 1993, extended her prison sentence to 

17 years, one of the longest reported sentences of any female Tibetan political prisoner; 
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•HRES 157 IH 

Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron was awarded the Reebok Human 

Rights Award in 1995; 

Whereas Phuntsog Nyidron is just one of many individuals 

whom the Chinese Government has held as a prisoner of 

conscience; 

Whereas the Chinese Government continues to imprison individuals as prisoners of conscience for their involvement in 

peaceful protests against the brutal Chinese occupation of 

Tibet; and 

Whereas the Chinese Government continues to exert control 

over religious and cultural institutions in Tibet, abusing 

human rights through torture, arbitrary arrest, and detention without public trial of Tibetans who peacefully expressed their political or religious views: Now, therefore, 

be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the Government of the People’s Republic 

3 of China should, as a gesture of goodwill and in order to 

4 promote human rights, immediately release all prisoners 

5 of conscience, including Phuntsog Nyidron.

Æ