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“TIBET” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S2937 on April 10, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TIBET
Mr. SMITH. Mr President, I rise today to speak about the recent violence in Tibet.
I am deeply saddened and angered by the events which have unfolded this past month between ethnic Tibetans and China. In March, China's decades of repression of Tibet exploded into widespread riots, both in the Tibetan autonomous region and ethnic Tibetan areas of China. The Chinese Government responded by imposing a near-total media blackout, and by deploying an overwhelming number of police and military personnel. Within that darkness, dozens of people were killed.
It is still unclear who did the killing, or who was killed. It is unclear what set off the violence. It is even unclear how many people were killed. The Chinese Government claims 22 deaths; independent Tibetan sources say between 79 and 140. There have been a similarly disputed number of people arrested.
One of government's primary functions is to enforce law and order within its borders. But the unrest and violence in Tibet is the direct result of over 50 years of Chinese oppression of Tibetan ethnic, cultural, and political rights. It is the result of China's repression of Tibetan Buddhism and a stream of personal insults against the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama, whom I am greatly honored to have met, is honored for his commitment to peace and reconciliation. I cannot think of a time when such a message is more welcome than it is today.
China, on the other hand, offers no similar message of tolerance and peace. Just this morning, there was an article in the Washington Post, in which a human rights lawyer and convert to Christianity lives under constant police surveillance. He is intermittently beaten and harassed by police, who sometimes prohibit him from attending church. For ethnic Tibetans, Chinese human rights violations can be much worse. China's efforts over the past half century to repress Tibetan rights are unacceptable, outrageous and in violation of China's own laws.
I know that many of my fellow Americans stand with me in this belief. As such, I was proud to introduce with my colleague from California a resolution calling on China to ensure the protection of Tibetan rights and culture. The resolution demands that China allow a full and transparent accounting of the recent violence. China must cease the political reeducation of monks, and allow them to possess pictures of the Dalai Lama. It must also release peaceful protestors, and allow independent journalists free access throughout China. In addition, the resolution calls on the U.S. State Department to fully implement the 2002 Tibet Policy Act, particularly the establishment of a U.S. consulate in Lhasa.
I was exceptionally pleased to note that my resolution was unanimously agreed to last night. I believe these measures would go a long way toward safeguarding Tibetan rights, easing the suffering of ethnic Tibetans, and preventing the outbreak of any further violence.
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