US passes bipartisan resolution on Tibet, applauds Dalai Lama

Blurb: Congman accuses China of resorting to violence to assert control over Tibet

Washington, November 19

A bipartisan resolution recognising the cultural and religious significance of an autonomous Tibet and seeking peaceful solutions to the conflict has been passed by the US House of Representatives.

The resolution recognised the significance of the genuine autonomy of Tibet and its people, and the work done by the 14th Dalai Lama to promote global peace.

Passed by a voice vote, the resolution determined that it would be beneficial to convene a bipartisan and bicameral forum either through a joint meeting of the Congress, a teleconference broadcast at the Capitol Visitor Centre or roundtable between members of the Congress and the Dalai Lama to discuss peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

Congressman Eliot Engel, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused China of violating international religious freedom in Tibet.

The State Department, he said, had found that China had systematically impeded travel to Tibet for US diplomats, officials, journalists and tourists. PTI