By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, March 11: The minority leader of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Jim McGovern yesterday urged the United States’ government to speak up for Tibet.
“Our country has a responsibility to speak out in support of human rights in Tibet and elsewhere in China. If freedom-loving people do not speak out for human rights in China because of our commercial interests, then we lose our moral authority to talk about it any other place in the world,” the duo said at a joint press conference on the occasion of the Tibetan National Uprising day.
The former Speaker of the House and the Congressman also said that to make progress on issues between Tibet and China, the Chinese government ‘must set aside its outmoded attitudes toward the Tibetan people’ and ‘explore the possibility of a new dialogue’.
“We believe there is an opportunity for a respectful, good faith, high-level dialogue between Chinese officials and the Dalai Lama on resolving outstanding issues regarding Tibetan autonomy and the treatment of Tibetans outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Region,” they said.
The joint statement also referred to an earlier campaign to encourage more Americans to travel to Tibet and China. The duo said that China should first honor with actions by lifting restrictions on US diplomats, members of Congress, journalists and others interested in the region.
“The US should be allowed to establish a consular office in Lhasa, in order to serve these Americans traveling to the Tibetan Plateau. China should not fear greater openness and engagement in Tibet. The US must emphasize this idea at the highest levels.”
Pelosi and McGovern who led the first US delegation in eight years said that the deteriorating human rights situation is deeply troubling. However, by allowing the delegation to visit did put a glimmer of hope from the Chinese government to re-evaluate its policies towards Tibet.
