Senate Praises Dalai Lama, Assails Chinese Role in Tibet

The Senate, in a move that could further strain U.S. relations with China, on Thursday condemned Chinese repression in Tibet in a resolution praising the exiled Dalai Lama and voicing congressional support for his independence movement.

While critics of the Bush Administration’s China policy hailed the resolution’s passage as a symbolic victory, a much stronger, Democrat-supported measure was blocked by Republicans at the White House’s request. That resolution would have more strongly and explicitly criticized Chinese human rights violations in both China and Tibet--implying, in the process, that Tibet is not a part of China but another country under Chinese occupation.

The Administration “felt that this was just too strong politically,” an aide to Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) said.

The weaker resolution, adopted by unanimous voice vote, condemned China’s “repressive actions” in Tibet, including torture and use of “excessive force” against demonstrators. It declared: “As the Tibetan people and His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet go forward on their journey towards freedom, the Congress and the people of the United States stand with them.”

A Democratic aide said, “Nobody wanted to take on the Administration over China at this particular time.” But, he added, “there was also strong bipartisan support for doing something for the Dalai Lama,” the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, who met with lawmakers Thursday during an unofficial Washington visit.

China has already protested the visit and the Administration has been subtly trying to play it down, working behind the scenes to keep the Dalai Lama from formally addressing a joint session of Congress as many lawmakers had sought.

But the White House also has been sending tougher signals to China on the question of human rights violations in Tibet. Although the United States does not recognize Tibet’s claim to independence, President Bush met privately with the Dalai Lama on Tuesday--the first time the Tibetan leader has been received at the White House. That meeting prompted vigorous Chinese protests.

Chinese troops invaded Tibet in 1950 and 1951, and the Communists introduced measures that sparked Tibetan revolts. A widespread uprising in 1959 was crushed by Chinese forces, and the Dalai Lama escaped to exile in India.

Although the Dalai Lama did not speak before a formal joint session of Congress, he received thunderous applause and a standing ovation Thursday when he addressed lawmakers informally in the Capitol Rotunda. “If the world truly hopes to see a reduction of tyranny in China it must not appease China’s leaders,” but must link “bilateral relations to respect for human rights,” he said.