Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Repression In Tibet
Senate Floor
April 2, 2008
MR.
LEAHY. I want to take a few minutes to speak about the situation in
Tibet, which has captured the world’s attention in recent days and
weeks.
For
those of us who have visited Tibet, as I did in 1988, and for millions
of people here and abroad, the press reports of Chinese police officers
arresting and beating Tibetan protesters, and of Tibetans destroying the
property of Han Chinese, are deplorable.
Estimates of the number of protesters killed have ranged from 13 to 140,
and more than 1,000 arrested. Knowing the way Tibetans have been
tortured and mistreated in Chinese prisons, we should be very concerned
with the welfare of those in custody.
More
than a dozen Han Chinese were reportedly killed and their businesses
ransacked and burned. Violent attacks against civilians and their
property cannot be justified, even when they may be prompted by
longstanding, legitimate grievances.
For
many years, the Chinese Government has been systematically implementing
a strategy to destroy Tibetan culture and solidify its control of
Tibet.
A
flood of Han Chinese into Tibet has fueled an economic boom, but this
has also exacerbated tensions between Chinese business owners and the
Tibetans who have become increasingly marginalized and discriminated
against in their own homeland.
When
first asked about the recent violence, Chinese authorities in Beijing
and Lhasa insisted that only a handful of agitators were involved and
there was no cause for concern.
Then,
as photographs were posted on the internet of Tibetans being chased and
beaten bloody by baton-wielding, helmeted riot police, the Chinese
Government blocked access for journalists and blamed the Dalai Lama for
instigating the violence to sabotage the Beijing Olympics.
Mr.
President, many of us have had the privilege of meeting the Dalai Lama.
I consider him a friend, and last week I spoke by telephone with one of
his advisors, Lodi Ghari, who was in India at the time. It is
outrageous to suggest that the Dalai Lama has encouraged violence in
Tibet.
For
decades, the Dalai Lama has shown remarkable tolerance and patience as
he has sought a peaceful resolution of the conflict over Tibet’s
political status. He has repeatedly extended a hand of friendship to
the Chinese Government, which has consistently responded by denigrating
and misrepresenting the Dalai Lama’s views.
I
would like to hope that this latest outbreak of violence will cause the
Chinese Government to recognize that a strategy of repression in Tibet
will only provoke further tensions and violence. Brute force is not a
solution. Ethnic cleansing is not a solution.
Several things should be done
immediately.
The Chinese Government should
distinguish between peaceful protestors and rioters, and reaffirm that
it will uphold the Chinese Constitution’s protections of free speech and
association.
It should end its lockdown on Tibetan
areas, including allowing full access by the media, and account for
those who are missing and dead from the protests.
There should be a full accounting of
each Tibetan who has been arrested or charged with a crime, including
names, charges if any, and the location where they are being detained.
The International Red Cross should have access to monitor their
treatment.
The
only way to resolve this conflict is through dialogue conducted in good
faith. It is long past time for Chinese authorities to recognize that
it has nothing to fear from the Tibetan people if they respect the
Tibetans’ cultural identity.
There
has been much talk and speculation about what these events could mean
for the Beijing Olympics.
I am
not among those who believe the Olympic Games should be a political
issue. The Olympics should be about the athletes, not about
governments.
If
some countries boycott these Olympics for one reason, other countries
will feel justified in boycotting other Olympics for different reasons.
The future of the Olympic Games would be in jeopardy.
That
said, the Chinese Government obviously sees the Olympics as an
opportunity to showcase China as a modern, harmonious country. The
Chinese Government’s actions in Tibet, and its continuing crackdown on
dissidents who call for more political freedom, starkly contradict this
image.
Apparently, neither the Olympic Committee nor the White House impressed
upon the Chinese authorities that if the Olympics were to be a success,
there needs to be a marked improvement in China’s respect for human
rights. That message should be conveyed clearly, vigorously, and
immediately. It is not acceptable for President Bush to simply say he
plans to attend the Olympics as a “sports fan.”
I
have long criticized the Chinese Government’s violations of human
rights.
--
Its detention and trial on trumped up charges of dissidents who dare to
criticize official corruption and repression.
--
Its use of excessive force in Tibet.
--
Its support for the Government of Sudan, even while that government was
committing genocide in Darfur.
--
Its torture of prisoners and summary executions after unfair trials.
I,
with former Senator Jeffords, and then Representative Sanders, worked
for six years to secure the release from a Chinese prison of Ngawang
Choepel, a young Tibetan whose only crime was to use a video camera to
record Tibetan music and dance. He posed no threat to China’s
security. His arrest, his trial, and his imprisonment were a travesty.
Just
last week, China convicted a human rights activist named Hu Jia of
“inciting subversion” through his writings on the internet. His crime
was to advocate for better protection for people with AIDS, for more
religious freedom, and for increased autonomy for Tibet.
His
case is another reminder that when it comes to human rights, little has
changed in China. The Chinese Government insists that China is a
country of laws and that his case was dealt with according to the law.
That is reminiscent of those who once defended slavery because it was
lawful at the time. As long as the Chinese Government criminalizes
speech, it will face the criticism of the international community.
Criticizing the Chinese Government is not the same as isolating China,
which I have never believed is an option. I have visited China several
times and have always favored more engagement with China. We should be
encouraging closer relations.
I
have worked to increase funding for professional, educational, and
cultural exchanges, and for programs focusing on environmental
protection and the rule of law. I have seen the benefits to American
and Chinese students who participate in these programs, including from
the Vermont Law School.
China
has an extraordinary history and culture. Its people have suffered many
hardships, including devastating wars and famines. Many still toil from
dawn until dusk to survive, but China has made extraordinary progress in
the 30 years since my first trip there.
The
Chinese people want the best for their families and their country, as
Americans do. They also want a government that is less corrupt and more
open and accountable.
China
wants to be treated like a great power, but the Chinese Government
cannot expect to be respected as a world leader just because of China’s
large population and its economic and military prowess. Not as long as
it crushes peaceful dissent and, in Tibet, destroys the culture of a
unique people who are admired throughout the world.
Other
governments of countries where Tibetans have rallied peacefully in
support of those back home should also stop the arrests and detentions
and use of excessive force.
This
is particularly so in Nepal, where not long ago tens of thousands of
Nepalese people took to the streets in demonstrations which led to the
restoration of multi-party government. Those who are in power in Nepal
today, because of the people’s brave defiance of a corrupt, abusive
King, should be respecting the Tibetans’ rights of assembly, of
association and expression.
Speaker Pelosi, who visited the Dalai Lama recently, said it well when
she called the crisis in Tibet a matter of conscience for the world.
But
just as I believe our collective conscience must be steadfast in support
of the Tibetan people and their spiritual leader, so should we reaffirm
that we recognize this is a conflict the Chinese and Tibetans must solve
themselves.
I
believe a solution is possible that meets the needs and aspirations of
both peoples. But after six years of talks that have achieved nothing,
it is clear that a new approach is needed. Repression is not the
answer. Confrontation is not the answer.
There
are creative, visionary people on both sides who can learn from these
events and pursue a new way forward. Those of us half a world away who
care about Tibet and China should encourage that.
Unfortunately, rather than reach out directly to the Dalai Lama, the
Chinese authorities are already tightening their control of Tibet.
Apparently they have concluded that the lesson of this latest uprising
is to increase the repression and claim that everything is back to
normal.
Their
idea of what is “normal” in Tibet is not the answer. If that is the
path they take, it is only a matter of time before the next eruption of
violence. And in the meantime, China will further jeopardize the
Olympics and do more damage to its international reputation.
Nobody wants that. We want closer, cooperative relations with China.
Mr.
President, let us hope that years from now, the 29th Summer
Olympic Games will be remembered not for the violent images of recent
weeks, and not for a hardening of positions, but as the catalyst for a
new political dialogue that brought about a lasting agreement on Tibet’s
future.
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