105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 103
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Whereas the International Commission of Jurists is a nongovernmental organization founded in 1952 to defend the
Rule of Law throughout the world and to work towards
the full observance of the provisions in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas in 1959, 1960, and 1964, the International Commission of Jurists examined Chinese policy in Tibet, violations of human rights in Tibet, and the position of
Tibet in international law;
Whereas in 1960, the International Commission of Jurists
found ‘‘that acts of genocide has been committed in Tibet
in an attempt to destroy the Tibetans as a religious
group, * * *’’ and concluded that Tibet was at least ‘‘a
de facto independent State’’ prior to 1951 and that Tibet
was a ‘‘legitimate concern of the United Nations even on
the restrictive interpretation of matters ‘essentially within
the domestic jurisdiction’ of a State.’’;
Whereas these findings were presented to the United Nations
General Assembly, which adopted three resolutions
(1959, 1961, and 1965) calling on the People’s Republic
of China to ensure respect for the fundamental human
rights of the Tibetan people and for their distinctive cultural and religious life, and to cease practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human
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rights and freedoms including their right to self-determination;
Whereas in December 1997, the International Commission of
Jurists issued a fourth report on Tibet, examining human
rights and the rule of law, including self-determination;
Whereas the President has repeatedly indicated his support
for substantive dialogue between the Government of the
People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his
representatives; and
Whereas on October 31, 1997, the Secretary of State appointed a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues to oversee United States policy regarding Tibet: Now, therefore,
be it
1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representative
2 concurring), That Congress—
3 (1) expresses grave concern regarding the find4 ings of the December 1997 International Commis5 sion of Jurists report on Tibet that—
6 (A) repression in Tibet has increased
7 steadily since 1994, resulting in heightened con8 trol on religious activity; a denunciation cam9 paign against the Dalai Lama unprecedented
10 since the Cultural Revolution; an increase in
11 political arrests; suppression of peaceful pro12 tests; and an accelerated movement of Chinese
13 to Tibet; and
14 (B) in 1997, the People’s Republic of
15 China labeled the Tibetan Buddhist culture,
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1 which has flourished in Tibet since the seventh
2 century, as a ‘‘foreign culture’’ in order to fa3 cilitate indoctrination of Tibetans in Chinese so4 cialist ideology and the process of national and
5 cultural extermination;
6 (2) supports the recommendations contained in
7 the report referred to in paragraph (1) that—
8 (A) call on the People’s Republic of
9 China—
10 (i) to enter into discussions with the
11 Dalai Lama or his representatives on a so12 lution to the question of Tibet;
13 (ii) to ensure respect for the fun14 damental human rights of the Tibetan peo15 ple; and
16 (iii) to end those practices which
17 threaten to erode the distinct cultural, reli18 gious and national identity of the Tibetan
19 people and, in particular, to cease policies
20 which result in the movement of Chinese
21 people to Tibetan territory;
22 (B) call on the United Nations General As23 sembly to resume its debate on the question of
24 Tibet based on its resolutions of 1959, 1961,
25 and 1965; and
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1 (C) call on the Dalai Lama or his rep2 resentatives to enter into discussions with the
3 Government of the People’s Republic of China
4 on a solution to the question of Tibet;
5 (3) commends the appointment by the Sec6 retary of State of a United States Special Coordina7 tor for Tibetan Issues—
8 (A) to promote substantive dialogue be9 tween the Government of the People’s Republic
10 of China and the Dalai Lama or his representa11 tives;
12 (B) to coordinate United States Govern13 ment policies, programs, and projects concern14 ing Tibet;
15 (C) to consult with the Congress on poli16 cies relevant to Tibet and the future and wel17 fare of all Tibetan people, and to report to Con18 gress in partial fulfillment of the requirements
19 of section 536(a) of the Public Law 103–236;
20 and
21 (D) to advance United States policy which
22 seeks to protect the unique religious, cultural,
23 and linguistic heritage of Tibet, and to encour24 age improved respect for Tibetan human rights;
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1 (4) calls on the People’s Republic of China to
2 release from detention the 9-year old Panchen
3 Lama, Gedhun Cheokyi Nyima, to his home in Tibet
4 from which he was taken on May 17, 1995, and to
5 allow him to pursue his religious studies without in6 terference and according to tradition;
7 (5) commends the President for publicly urging
8 President Jiang Zemin, during their recent summit
9 meeting in Beijing, to engage in dialogue with the
10 Dalai Lama; and
11 (6) calls on the President to continue to work
12 to secure an agreement to begin substantive negotia13 tions between the Government of the People’s Re14 public of China and the Dalai Lama or his rep15 resentatives.
Passed the Senate September 17, 1998.
Attest:
Secretary.
105TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 103
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress in support of
policy with regard to Tibet.mission of Jurists on Tibet and on United Statesthe recommendations of the International Com-