H.Res. 226

On March 11, 2009, purposely timed for the 50^th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising of 1959, when 80,000 Tibetans were killed by Chinese troops, H.Res. 226 was passed before the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Although this Resolution does not have the force of law, its purpose was mainly symbolic, to mark the 50^th anniversary of the Uprising, it is nevertheless a promising step in calling national attention to Tibet.

The title of the resolution reads:

“Recognizing the plight of the Tibetan people on the 50th anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being forced into exile and calling for a sustained multilateral effort to bring about a durable and peaceful solution to the Tibet issue.”

The summary of the bill states that its purpose is to:

“[Recognize] (1) the Tibetan people for their perseverance in the face of adversity and for creating a democratic community in exile that sustains the Tibetan identity; and (2) the government and people of India for their generosity toward the Tibetan refugee population.

[Call] upon: (1) the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to respond to the Dalai Lama's initiatives to find a lasting solution to the Tibetan issue; and (2) the Administration to recommit to a sustained effort to press the PRC to respect the Tibetans' identity and human rights.”

Cosponsors of the bill include:

Rep Ackerman, Gary L. [NY-5] - 3/11/2009
Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 3/9/2009
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] - 3/9/2009
Rep Cao, Anh "Joseph"[LA-2] - 3/9/2009
Rep Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] - 3/11/2009
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 3/9/2009
Rep Eshoo, Anna G. [CA-14] - 3/11/2009
Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 3/9/2009
Rep Levin, Sander M. [MI-12] - 3/11/2009
Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-18] - 3/9/2009
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 3/9/2009
Rep McGovern, James P. [MA-3] - 3/9/2009
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 3/9/2009
Rep Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana [FL-18] - 3/9/2009
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] - 3/9/2009
Rep Wolf, Frank R. [VA-10] - 3/9/2009

For more information on H.Res 226, click here.

Congressional Gold Medal

On October 17, 2007, the United States Congress presented the Dalai Lama with a Congressional Gold Medal, a prestigious award that is one of the highest civilian honors available. Past recipients have included Elie Wiesel, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and even George Washington.

Among other things, the text of the bill granting the Dalai Lama the medal states that the Dalai Lama “is the unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the Tibetan people, and has used his leadership to promote democracy, freedom, and peace for the Tibetan people through a negotiated settlement of the Tibet issue, based on autonomy within the People's Republic of China” (S. 2784).

Click here to read the Dalai Lama’s speech upon receiving the medal. 
Click here to watch the Dalai Lama’s speech to U.S. Congress.
Click here to watch footage secured by Free Tibet on Tibetans inside Tibet celebrating the award and which was used in an ITV report.

US media coverage of this event

            New York Times

            Washington Post

           CNN

H.R. 2410

 

H.R. 2410, or "the Foreign Relations Authorization Act (for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011)" was passed in the US House of Representatives on 10 June 2009. It was passed by a margin of 235-187.

Per procedure required for all House Committees, the Foreign Relations committee must present a bill detailing their plans and activities for the following fiscal year so a budget can then be established.

The primary purpose of H.R. 2410, then, is to outline and allocate money to specific foreign-affairs (State Department) programs, offices, and policies for 2010 and 2011.

Thus, while the bill concentrates on a number of subjects, it does notably contain some sections (Sec. 237 & 618) that specifically reference Tibet.

Overall, the bill details that:

• The National Security Counsel will coordinate their information and policies on Tibet with any Executive agencies who have contact with the Chinese government
  

• The U.S. will allocate grants to NGOs who support economic, cultural, environmental, educational, (etc.,) development within Tibet (both the TAR and other Tibetan communities throughout China)
  

• Until the U.S. is able to set up a consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, a special Tibet section will be established in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing
  

As of 22 June 2009, H.R. 2410 has been received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the cost for funding these programs and policies related to Tibet should be around “$16 million over the 2010-2014 period.” (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/102xx/doc10260/hr2410.pdf)

 

Click here to read the full text of H.R. 2410.