US House passes bill on sanctions against Chinese officials for meddling in Dalai Lama's succession

US House of Representatives has passed a bill that authorises financial and travel sanctions against Chinese officials who interfere in process of selecting successor to Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual leer of Tibet. Introduced by Congressman James P McGovern, Chairman of House Rules Committee and Congressional-Executive Commission on China, bill was passed by a overwhelming vote of 392 to 22. bill, if passed by Senate and signed into law by president, will also prohibit China from opening any new consulate in US until Beijing allows Washington to open its diplomatic station in Lhasa, Tibetan capital.

'It is unacceptable'

According to bill, succession or reincarnation of Tibetan Buddhist leers, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, is an exclusively religious matter that should be decided solely by Tibetan Buddhist community. Under draft legislation, Washington would freeze any American asset and ban US travel of Chinese officials if y are found to be involved in "identifying or installing" a Dalai Lama approved by Beijing. dressing House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said bill sends Beijing a clear signal that it will be held accountable for interfering in Tibet's religious and cultural affairs.

proposed legislation, she said, makes it clear that "Chinese officials who meddle in process of recognising a new Dalai Lama will be subject to targeted sanctions, including those in Global Magnitsky Act". Global Magnitsky Act allows US to sanction foreign government officials implicated in human rights abuses anywhere in world. Pelosi said bill deploys America's diplomatic weight to encour a genuine dialogue between Tibetan leers and Beijing.

"It is unacceptable that Chinese government still refuses to enter into a dialogue with Tibetan leers...We are supporting Tibetan people's right to religious freedom and genuine automy by formally establishing as US policy that Tibetan Buddhist community has exclusive right to choose its religious leers, including a future 15th Dalai Lama," she said. Though introduced as a stand-alone piece of legislation, bill serves as an amendment to Tibet Policy Act of 2002, which codified US position of support for Tibetan people. "Our bill updates and strengns Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 to dress challenges facing Tibetan people. But perhaps as importantly, it reaffirms America's commitment to idea that human rights matter. That we care about those who are oppressed, and we stand with those who are struggling for freedom," Congressman McGovern said on House floor.

"It should be clear that we support a positive and productive US-China relationship, but it is essential that human rights of all people of China are respected by ir government," he asserted. Last year, US Congress passed Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, demanding that American journalists, diplomats and tourists be given same freedom to travel to Tibet that Chinese officials have to travel freely in US. " Dalai Lama should be commended for his decision to devolve political authority to elected leers. Tibetan exile community is also to be commended for opting a system of self-governance with democratic institutions to choose ir own leers, including holding multiple 'free and fair' elections to select its Parliament and chief executive," McGovern said.

bill also mandates US State Department to begin collaborative and multinational efforts to protect environment and water resources of Tibetan Plateau. "We are protecting Tibet's environmental and cultural rights: working with international governments and business community to ensure self-sufficiency of Tibetan people and protect environment and water resources on Tibetan Plateau. It is really important to sustainability of our planet," Pelosi, a longtime vocate for Tibet, said. 

(Im credit: PTI)