US Congressional delegation ‘targets’ China on autonomy for Tibet; Beijing expresses concern

Ajay Banerjee

Dharamsala, June 18

A high-profile US Congressional delegation on a visit here and the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, on Tuesday, “targeted” China on the issue of autonomy for Tibet.

Reacting to the US delegation’s visit to Dharamsala, China said it was “gravely concerned” and asked the US to honour commitments that it made to Beijing on the issues related to Tibet of not having any contact with the Dalai Lama group and stop sending the ‘wrong signal’ to the world.

The delegation, which includes former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is scheduled to meet Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama here on Wednesday. The meeting will be at the main Buddhist temple in this hill town.

Speaking in the House of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, Michael McCaul, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House, in reference to tomorrow’s meeting, said: “We have many things to talk… there has been a major shift in the US policy towards Tibet and its right to self-determination. We believe people in Tibet have the right to self-determination.”

Referring to the Tibetan Parliament, he hoped “this temple of democracy is back in Tibet”. Speaker of Tibetan Parliament Khenpo Sonam Tenphel said: “Your (the panel) visit has sent a strong message to China.” He thanked the US delegation for passing the Bill called the ‘Tibet China Dispute Act’, also referred to as ‘Resolve Tibet Act’, which seeks to resolve the Tibet issue as per international norms under the negotiated settlement.

Geogory Meeks ‘Ranking member’, US House Foreign Affairs Committee, praised Pelosi on pressing members to pass the Bill. In Beijing, when asked about the US delegation visiting the Dalai Lama, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “the 14th Dalai Lama is not a pure religious figure, but a political exile engaged in anti-China separatist activities under the cloak of religion”.

Lin added that the US must honour the commitments made to China on issues related to Tibet and “stop sending the wrong signal to the world”.