US President Biden signs Resolve Tibet act

US President Joe Biden on Friday signed “The Resolve Tibet Act” which states that China’s ongoing occupation of Tibet must be resolved per the international law peacefully and not through repression.

Biden’s government called on China to resume direct dialogue, without preconditions, with the Dalai Lama, or his representatives, to seek a settlement that resolves differences and leads to a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

The act- Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, popularly known as the Resolve Tibet Act, states that it is American policy that the Tibet issue must be resolved in accordance with international law by peaceful means, through dialogue without preconditions.

“The Resolve Tibet Act cuts to the heart of China’s brutal treatment of the Tibetan people,” said Tencho Gyatso, President of the International Campaign for Tibet.

The bill sees Tibetans as people with their own religious, cultural, linguistic and historical identity. It recognises that China is suppressing the Tibetans’ way of life.

The Dalai Lama has repeatedly called for China to grant genuine autonomy to the Tibetan people, and it is clear under international law that people are entitled to self-determination. When House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) spoke before it passed Congress, he expressed his hopes that the new law will help “put the people of Tibet in charge of their future.”

The law promotes a resolution of the dispute between Tibet and China. It empowers Tibet to counter disinformation about Tibet from the Chinese government. Rejects as “inaccurate” China’s false claims that Tibet has been part of China since “ancient times.”

It promotes dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama without preconditions.

The US can also ‘explore activities to improve prospects’ to lead a negotiated agreement on Tibet, including coordination with other countries, to bring a negotiated agreement on Tibet.

The Central Tibetan Administration welcomed the agreement.

In a post on X, the Tibetan Administration said, “BREAKING NEWS: Resolve Tibet Act, is now a law after US President Joe Biden signed on 12 July 2024. It helps the US counter misinformation from the PRC and support the rights of Tibetans.”

Students for a Free Tibet, an NGO working in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and independence, said the law echoes the will of Tibetans.

In a post on X, the NGO said, “BREAKING: S. 138 The Resolve Tibet Act is officially signed into US law! This law will amplify our ability to echo the will of the Tibetan people, especially those within Tibet, who have never accepted China’s 65-year illegal occupation of their homeland. #FreeTibet”.

On Friday, a memorial event for Tibetan freedom fighter Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, marking the anniversary of his unjust death in Chinese custody, was organized at the Gangkyi Tibetan Library in the North Indian hill town of Dharamshala where the speakers urged China to free all political prisoners.