This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia, and it is now licensed for reprint.
A group of U.S. lawmakers met with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday in Dharamsala, in north India, to explain to the Tibetan Buddhist religious head that the new section of U.S. policy is a significant step toward ensuring the Tibetan people’s self-determination.
Led by Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican and head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the nonpartisan group likewise visited the , Central Tibetan Administration, or CTA, the Tibetan authorities- in- banishment, which McCaul called” the church of democracy”.
Their two-day trip comes a month after Congress passed the Resolve Tibet Act, which calls on Beijing to overcome the China-Tibet debate through dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his associates. They claim that President Joe Biden is scheduled to sign the bill into law in the coming time.
The act “is a significant change in U. S. coverage towards Tibet on a path of personal- determination”, McCaul told members of the CTA. The United Nations emphasizes that every person and every nation has a right to self-determination, and that Tibetans too have that straight, in our opinion.
Since 2010, there have n’t been any formal discussions with Beijing regarding how Tibet should be run.
McCaul praised the Tibetan people for having this democracy-in-exile church, saying,” I hope that this democracy-in-tibe may one day get up in Tibet itself.”
The Dalai Lama thanked the committee and declared the invoice “very important” when he received a illustrated copy of the U.S. policy on Tibet.
Bipartisan group
The legislative delegation included previous House Speaker , Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York who is his group’s performance part on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts who is also a part of the Congressional- Executive Commission on China.
It also included Rep. Ami Bera, a Democrat from California, Rep. Mariannette Miller- Simmons, an Iowa Republican, and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York.  ,
According to McGovern,” America will not relent in our support for the Tibetan people,” our presence around currently serves as a symbol and a reminder to Chinese leaders.
Tibet, an impartial Himalayan nation, was invaded by China in 1950, and it has remained so ever since. Following a missed revolt against Chinese law in 1959, the Dalai Lama fled to India and was imprisoned there.  ,
Beijing has since attempted to justify Chinese rule by preventing dissent and pursuing policies that denigrate Tibetan culture and language. More recently, China has attempted to encircle the reincarnation method of Tibetan spiritual leaders in an effort to stifle the Dalai Lama’s resurrection.
According to McCaul,” The Chinese Communist Party continues to threaten the Tibetan people’s freedom, and they have actually attempted to enlist themselves in Dalai Lama inheritance.”
” But we will not let that happen”, he said.  ,
Warning from China
The committee was informed earlier this year that it had been warned against visiting Dharamsala by a letter from the Chinese Communist Party, according to McCaul.
” But we did not let the CCP terrify us, for we are ok today”, he said.
Lin Jian, a spokesman for the Foreign government, criticized the journey on Tuesday.
At a media briefing, Lin Jian said at a press briefing that” we are profoundly concerned over the appropriate information and urge the U.S. side to fully acknowledge the anti-China dissident nature of the Dalai group, respect the pledges the United States has made to China on issues relating to Xizang, have no contact with the Dalai group in any form, and prevent sending the wrong message to the world.”
The United States must not sign the bill into law and China will take steps to “firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests”, he added.
Beijing believes the Dalai Lama wants to split off the Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan- populated areas in China’s Sichuan, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Gansu provinces from the rest of the country.
However, the Dalai Lama does not support independence, but rather proposes a” Middle Way” that acknowledges Tibet’s status as a member of China and encourages greater cultural and religious freedoms, including stronger language rights.
” We all are ( the ) same human being and we all have the same right. And this world belongs to humanity”, he told the delegates at his residence.  ,
” So we should take care of this world, regardless of any particular religion or custom.” People of the world should be peaceful, happy”, he said. ” That’s our goal” . ,
Greeted warmly
The delegation was met by hundreds of cheering Tibetans who waved American and Tibetan flags when they arrived on Tuesday at Dharamsala’s Gaggal Airport.
Later that day and the following day, the delegation took part in a public ceremony hosted by the Central Tibetan Administration, including a visit to the Tibet Museum and the Central Tibetan Administration.
The Tibetan people have a distinct religion, a distinct culture, and a historical identity, and they deserve to have a say in what comes next. You should be able to practice your religion at any time, and that is why we are here today, acting against the CCP’s warning,” McCaul said at the ceremony.
Pelosi, the former House speaker, also underscored the importance of the Resolve Tibet Act.
” We had been fighting for this ( bill ) for a long time”, she said.
Pelosi said,” This bill sends a message to the Chinese government that we have a clear understanding of this issue of the freedom of Tibet.”
The bill rejects Beijing’s claim that Tibet has been a part of China since antiquity and calls on Beijing to” stop spreading disinformation about Tibet’s history, the Tibetan people, and Tibetan institutions, including that of the Dalai Lama.”
” This message of the U. S. Congress should reach out to other governments”, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the democratically elected leader of the Central Tibetan Administration.
According to Tsering,” I have also spoken with the State Department that it’s incumbent upon them to work with like-minded countries to ensure that similar resolutions, comparable statements, or comparable laws are adopted in other countries,” Tsering continued.
Pelosi gave the Dalai Lama a picture of the Capitol’s dome, which she claimed should serve as a constant reminder of the many friends he has there.
