By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 23: The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) in its annual report called for dialogue between the CCP officials and Tibetan government-in-exile based on the issue of Tibetan people’s right of self-determination under international law. The commission said that China has shown no interest in a peaceful resolution for the conflict raging Tibet, and stated that it continues to “disseminate false information about Tibet’s history.” The body consists of nine Senators, nine representatives and five senior officials including Under Secretary Uzra Zeya, to monitor the human rights abuses under the Beijing government.
The Co-Chair Rep. McGovern said that the commission has noted mounting crackdown against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, Tibetans and Hong Kongers, “I urge Members of Congress and the Executive Branch to make use of our recommendations to hold the Chinese government accountable and more effectively prioritize the promotion of universal human rights and the rule of law.” The report cited three self-immolations in the past years as a result of Chinese repression of language and religious freedom in Tibet.
The bipartisan bill which was tabled in June called ‘Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act’, intends to make official US policy to assert that Tibetans have a right to self-determination and recognize policies in China that prevent them from exercising that right. This bill is aimed to pressure the Chinese government to end its occupation through negotiation with the envoys of the Dalai Lama in exile. The talks between the Dalai Lama and Chinese government representatives have stalled after nine rounds of talk since 2010. No official contact has been made between Beijing and the Dalai Lama envoys since then.
In the 2022 report, it is clearly stated that China’s enforced use of Mandarin Chinese in Tibetan areas and the mandatory boarding schools for children as young as six, are strategies to eradicate the Tibetan language beginning from primary schools. This was followed by closure of monastic and local schools where Tibetan language and religion were prioritized. The commission also urged the US Congress to speak about the crackdown on intellectuals, artists and local leaders held in Chinese prisons.
