US urges China to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama

Phayul[Friday, October 14, 2011 23:58]

By Tendar Tsering DHARAMSHALA, October 14: Amidst a fiery episode of self-immolations inside Tibet and growing protests by Tibetans in exile, a group of US Senators, Members of House of Representatives and senior officials appointed by President Obama has called on the Chinese government to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama. The Congressional Executive Commission on China in its annual report released on Wednesday said "the Dalai Lama’s withdrawal from exiled Tibetan administrative affairs has the potential to alter dialogue dynamics by eliminating the basis for the government and Party to characterise him as a ‘political’ figure." The US report urged the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his representatives on protecting Tibetan culture, language, religion and heritage. Referring to the sequence of self-immolation cases inside Tibet, the 2011 report pointed out that dialogue can result in a durable and mutually beneficial outcome for the Chinese government and Tibetans, and improve the outlook for local and regional security in coming decades. The report noted that the economic and technological progress in China has not led to commensurate gains in China's human rights and rule of law record. The US condemned China for misusing its law to violate fundamental human rights by cracking down on peaceful protests to prevent Tibetans, Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities from exercising autonomy despite guarantees in Chinese law. Members of the US Congress and Administration officials called for international attention on China’s continued insistence that its restrictions on freedom of expression are consistent with international standards. "Chinese government’s position undermines international human rights standards for free expression, particularly those contained in Article 19 of the international Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Articles 19 and 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," said the US annual report. The US further condemned China for the use of 'strike force' security campaigns to suppress human rights and urged the Chinese government to provide complete details about Tibetans detained, charged and sentenced for protest-related crimes. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China was created by Congress in October 2000 with the legislative mandate to monitor human rights and the development of the rule of law in China, and to submit an annual report to the President and the Congress.