I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1779
To support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct
identity.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 9, 2001
Mr. LANTOS (for himself, Mr. KIRK, Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. BOU-
CHER, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. STARK,
Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. DELAHUNT, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr.
SHERMAN, 
Mr. 
MCGOVERN, 
Mr. 
KING, 
Mr. 
HOEFFEL, 
Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. FRANK, Mr. COX, Mr. WEXLER, Mr.
MENENDEZ, Mr. WOLF, Mr. BONIOR, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. ALLEN, Ms.
KAPTUR, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. BLUNT,
Mr. EVANS, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. SUNUNU, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr.
TANCREDO, and Ms. MCCOLLUM) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on International Relations
A BILL
To support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard
their distinct identity.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ‘‘Tibetan Policy Act of
2001’’.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to support the aspirations
of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The People’s Republic of China has failed
to respond to efforts by the United States and oth-
ers to initiate a dialogue between the Chinese leader-
ship and the Dalai Lama or his representatives lead-
ing to a mutually beneficial negotiated solution with
respect to Tibet.
(2) Tibet has maintained throughout its history
a national identity distinct from that of China.
(3) On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic
of China was formally proclaimed in Beijing and the
following year launched an armed invasion of Tibet.
(4) Under the 1951 Seventeen Point Agreement
between the People’s Republic of China and rep-
resentatives of the Tibetan Government, which in-
corporated Tibet into China, China guaranteed no
alteration of Tibetan political, cultural, and religious
systems and institutions.
(5) The failure of the People’s Republic of
China to adhere to or uphold the Seventeen Point
Agreement, and the imposition of so-called demo-
cratic reform, led to the March 1959 uprising in
Lhasa and the Dalai Lama’s repudiation of the Sev-
enteen Point Agreement and flight to exile.
(6) Since the revolt against Chinese rule in
Tibet that began in 1956 and through the end of the
Cultural Revolution in 1976, an estimated 1,200,000
Tibetans were killed and more than 6,000 religious
sites were destroyed.
(7) In 1959, 1960, 1964, and 1997 the Inter-
national Commission of Jurists examined Chinese
policy in Tibet, violations of human rights in Tibet,
and the position of Tibet in international law.
(8) The International Commission of Jurists
found that the People’s Republic of China had com-
mitted ‘‘acts of genocide . . . in Tibet in an attempt
to destroy the Tibetans as a religious group’’ and
that Tibet was at least ‘‘a de facto state’’ prior to
1951.
(9) The United Nations General Assembly
adopted resolutions in 1959, 1961, and 1965 calling
on the People’s Republic of China to ensure respect
for 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 rights and freedoms, in-
cluding the right to self-determination.
(10) The 2000 Department of State Country
Report on Human Rights Practices finds that ‘‘Chi-
nese government authorities continued to commit
numerous serious human rights abuses in Tibet, in-
cluding instances of torture, arbitrary arrest, deten-
tion without public trial, and lengthy detention of
Tibetan nationalists for peacefully expressing their
political or religious views, and tight controls on reli-
gion and on other fundamental freedoms continued
and intensified during the year’’.
(11) Human rights, religious freedom, and the
preservation of Tibet’s distinct religious, cultural,
and linguistic identity are legitimate interests of the
international community.
(12) It is the policy of the United States to pro-
mote the elimination of all forms of racial, religious,
and linguistic discrimination against the Tibetan
people.
(13) Voice of America and Radio Free Asia Ti-
betan language broadcast programs provide informa-
tion to the Tibetan people withheld from them by
the Government of the People’s Republic of China
and, thus, a critical service in protecting the distinct
Tibetan identity and promoting freedoms in Tibet.
(14) The Government of the People’s Republic
of China, through direct and indirect incentives, has
encouraged an overwhelming number of Chinese to
resettle in Tibet.
(15) The Government of the People’s Republic
of China has excluded Tibetans from participation in
important policy decisions and meaningful participa-
tion in the governance of Tibet, and has failed to
abide by its guarantees of autonomy for Tibet.
(16) The Guidelines for International Develop-
ment Projects and Sustainable Investment in Tibet
issued by the Central Tibetan Administration of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama establish a sound basis for
fostering responsible development and economic ac-
tivity in Tibet.
(17) As a result of the failure of the Govern-
ment of the People’s Republic of China to grant gen-
uine autonomy for Tibetans and the preference it
has shown in its economic and human infrastructure
development efforts for Chinese in Tibet, Tibetans
continue to remain plagued by poverty, illiteracy,
poor nutrition, and their prosperity is further hin-
dered by a limited infrastructure and communica-
tions network that provides them only a marginal
benefit.
(18) The People’s Republic of China has rati-
fied the International Covenant on Economic, Social,
and Cultural Rights and is thereby bound by its pro-
visions and to international monitoring of its human
rights practices, and China has signed the Inter-
national Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and
Article One of both covenants state that all peoples
have the right of self-determination.
(19) President Jiang Zemin, in a press con-
ference with President Clinton on June 27, 1997,
and similarly on other occasions, has stated that if
the Dalai Lama ‘‘recognizes that Tibet is an insepa-
rable part of China, then the door to negotiations is
open’’.
(20) The Dalai Lama has specifically stated
that he is not seeking independence and is com-
mitted to finding a negotiated solution within the
framework enunciated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979,
and in his statement on the ‘‘41st Anniversary of
the Tibetan National Uprising’’, and similarly on
other occasions, has said that ‘‘it has been my con-
sistent endeavor to find a peaceful and mutually ac-
ceptable solution to the Tibetan problem . . . [m]y
approach envisages that Tibet enjoy genuine auton-
omy within the framework of the People’s Republic
of China . . . [s]uch a mutually beneficial solution
would contribute to the stability and unity of China,
their two most important priorities, while at the
same time the Tibetans would be ensured of their
basic right to preserve their own [c]ivilization and to
protect the delicate environment of the Tibetan pla-
teau’’.
SEC. 4. DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.
Congress—
(1) as stated in section 355 of the Foreign Re-
lations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and
1993 (Public Law 102–138), reaffirms that Tibet,
including those Tibetan areas incorporated into the
Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, and
Qinghai, is an occupied country under the estab-
lished principles of international law;
(2) commends the Republic of India for pro-
viding asylum and ongoing humanitarian care to the
Dalai Lama and Tibetans and exile and assuming
the financial burden of such care on the resources
of India; and
(3)(A) commends the Kingdom of Nepal for
shelter and hospitality provided to Tibetans in exile;
(B) expresses concern over incidents of ill treat-
ment of transiting Tibetans in border areas; and
(C) urges continued cooperation with the Office
of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu-
gees in Kathmandu.
SEC. 5. TIBET NEGOTIATIONS.
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that—
(1) the President and Secretary of State should
initiate steps to encourage the Government of the
People’s Republic of China to enter into a dialogue
with the Dalai Lama or his representatives leading
to a negotiated agreement on Tibet; and
(2) after such an agreement is reached, the
President and Secretary of State should work to en-
sure compliance with the agreement.
(b) PERIODIC REPORT.—Not later than six months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later
than the end of every six-month period thereafter (until
such a time as an agreement described in subsection (a)(1)
is reached which is satisfactory to both the Chinese and
Tibetan peoples), the President shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on International Relations of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of
the Senate a report on (1) the steps initiated by the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State in accordance with subsection
(a)(1), and (2) the status of any discussions between the
(c) CENTRAL OBJECTIVE.—The central objective of
the Special Coordinator is to promote substantive dialogue
between the Government of the People’s Republic of China
and the Dalai Lama or his representatives.
(d) DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Special
Coordinator shall—
(1) coordinate United States Government poli-
cies, programs, and projects concerning Tibet;
(2) vigorously promote the policy of seeking to
protect the distinct historical, religious, cultural, and
linguistic identity of Tibet, and seeking improved re-
spect for human rights;
(3) maintain close contact with religious, cul-
tural, and political leaders of the Tibetan people, in-
cluding regular travel to Tibetan areas of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China, and to Tibetan refugee set-
tlements in India and Nepal;
(4) consult with Congress on policies relevant to
Tibet and the future and welfare of the Tibetan peo-
ple;
(5) make efforts to establish contacts in the for-
eign ministries of other countries to pursue a nego-
tiated solution for Tibet; and
(6) have adequate resources, staff, and adminis-
trative support for the mission.
SEC. 8. CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON THE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.
Section 302(h) of the U.S.-China Relations Act of
2000 (Public Law 106–286), relating to the Congres-
sional-Executive Commission on the People’s Republic of
China, is amended—
(1) by striking ‘‘shall include specific informa-
tion’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘shall include—
‘‘(1) specific information’’; and
(2) by striking the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(2) a description of the status of negotiations
between the Government of the People’s Republic of
China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives,
and measures taken to safeguard Tibet’s distinct
historical, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity
and the protection of human rights.’’.
SEC. 9. TIBETAN REFUGEES.
(a) MIGRATION AND REFUGEE ASSISTANCE.—Of the
amounts authorized to be appropriated for migration and
refugee assistance programs for fiscal years 2002, 2003,
and 2004, not less than $2,000,000 for each such fiscal
year is authorized to be available only for humanitarian
assistance for Tibetan refugees.
(b) EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PRO-
GRAMS.—Of the amounts authorized to be appropriated
for educational and cultural exchange programs for fiscal
years 2002, 2003, and 2004, not less than $500,000 for
each such fiscal year is authorized to be available only for
the Ngawang Choephel Tibetan scholarship program for
Tibetans in exile.
(c) HUMAN
RIGHTS
AND
DEMOCRACY.—Of the
amounts authorized to be appropriated for human rights
and democracy programs for fiscal years 2002, 2003, and
2004, not less than $250,000 for each such fiscal year
is authorized to be available only for assistance to non-
governmental organizations, such as the National Endow-
ment for Democracy, for the purpose of providing training
and education in democracy activities for Tibetans and
monitoring the human rights situation in Tibet.
SEC. 10. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ON THE TIBETAN PLA-
TEAU.
(a) DECLARATIONS OF POLICY.—It is the policy of
the United States—
(1) to encourage and support projects proposed
to be funded or otherwise supported by international
financial institutions, other international organiza-
tions, and nongovernmental organizations in Tibet
that are designed to raise the standard of living for
the Tibetan people and assist Tibetans to become
self-sufficient, and that meet the principles con-
tained in subsection (d); and
(2) to oppose projects funded or otherwise sup-
ported by international financial institutions, other
international organizations, and nongovernmental
organizations in Tibet that do not meet the prin-
ciples contained in subsection (d).
(b) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.—
The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United
States executive director of each international financial
institution—
(1) to encourage and support projects proposed
to be funded or otherwise supported by such inter-
national financial institutions in Tibet which are
consistent with the principles contained in subsection
(d); and
(2) to use the voice and vote of the United
States to oppose those projects which do not meet
the principles contained in subsection (d).
(c) EXPORT-IMPORT BANK, OPIC, AND TDA.—The
President shall direct the Export-Import Bank of the
United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corpora-
tion, and the Trade and Development Agency—
(1) to support projects proposed to be funded
or otherwise supported by such entities in Tibet that
are consistent with the principles contained in sub-
section (d); and
(2) to oppose projects proposed to be funded by
such entities that do not meet the principles con-
tained in subsection (d).
(d) TIBET PRINCIPLES.—Projects in Tibet supported
by international financial institutions, other international
organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the
United States entities referred to in subsection (c),
should—
(1) be implemented only after conducting a
thorough needs-assessment of the Tibetan people
through field visits and interviews;
(2) be preceded by cultural and environmental
impact assessments;
(3) foster self-sufficiency and self-reliance of Ti-
betans;
(4) promote accountability of the development
agencies to the Tibetan people and active participa-
tion of Tibetans in all project stages;
(5) respect Tibetan culture, traditions, and the
Tibetan knowledge and wisdom about their land-
scape and survival techniques;
(6) be subject to monitoring by the development
agencies at all stages of the project by a local pres-
ence to ensure that the intended target group bene-
fits;
(7) be implemented by development agencies
prepared to use Tibetan as the working language of
the projects;
(8) neither provide incentive for, nor facilitate
the migration and settlement of, non-Tibetans into
Tibet; and
(9) neither provide incentive for, nor facilitate
the transfer of ownership of, Tibetan land and nat-
ural resources to non-Tibetans.
SEC. 11. UNITED STATES-EUROPEAN INTERPARLIAMEN-
TARY GROUP.
It is the sense of Congress that the United States
and European parliamentarians participating in the
United States-European Interparliamentary Group should
focus on issues related to advancing the dialogue between
the leadership of the People’s Republic of China and the
Dalai Lama or his representatives in addition to their nor-
mal responsibilities.