The political head of Tibetans in exile yesterday welcomed legislation passed by the US Congress that reaffirms the rights of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a move that infuriated China.
China regards the exiled Dalai Lama as a dangerous “splittist,” or separatist, and the latest show of support from the US Congress could increase already tense ties between the two nations.
Lobsang Sangay, president of the Tibetan Central Administration (CTA), which is known as the Tibetan government-in-exile, said that the passing by the US House of Representatives and the Senate of the Tibet Policy and Support Act (TPSA) was historic.
Photo: Reuters
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the US of meddling in its internal affairs and warned the US against signing the legislation into law.
China seized control of Tibet after its troops entered the region in 1950 in what it calls a “peaceful liberation.” Tibet has since become one of the most restricted and sensitive areas in the country.
The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The legislation calls for the establishment of a US consulate in Tibet’s main city of Lhasa, the absolute right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and the preservation of Tibet’s environment.
The legislation also proposes a “regional framework on water security” and greater participation from the community in dialogue with China on monitoring the region’s environment.
“The People’s Republic of China has already completed water transfer programs diverting billions of cubic meters of water yearly and has plans to divert more waters from the Tibetan plateau in China,” the bill said.
Environmental groups and Tibetan rights activists have expressed concern about China’s hydropower ambitions in the region, saying they could affect downstream water supplies.
China has said its leaders have the right to approve the Dalai Lama’s successor, which many see as a coercive attempt to control Tibet, where ethnic Tibetans make up about 90 percent of the population.
“By passing the TPSA, Congress has sent its message loud and clear that Tibet remains a priority for the United States and that it will continue its steadfast support for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA,” Sangay said.
“This is a victory for the Tibetan freedom struggle,” he added.
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