By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, May 25: A United States Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA) has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would recognize the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) or the Tibetan province of Utsang to be a “separate country” on May 19, 2020.
The bill (H.R. 6948) would “authorize the President to recognize the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China as a separate, independent country, and for other purposes”. The same bill has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Rep Scott Perry who is a former military man with the rank of Brigadier General was among the 32 members of US Congress who signed the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission’s bipartisan letter to the US Secretary of State in May 2019. The letter urged the Trump Administration to promptly implement key legislations on Tibet including Tibet Policy Act of 2002 and the 2018 Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act—passed by Congress to guide United States policy on Tibet.
The Tibetan Autonomous Region with a total area of around 1,228,400 km2 (474,300 sq mi) encompasses the traditional Tibetan province of Utsang which includes areas of Utsang and part of Kham. The remaining two provinces of Kham and Amdo under Chinese rule has been divided as such; Kham was divided between Sichuan and Yunnan Chinese provinces and Amdo was divided between Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai provinces.
2 Responses
I do not think US Congressman, Scott Perry, said the right thing on Tibet. Mr. Perry can not fragment Tibet and this disheartening to every Tibetan around world. We always live together and fight together as one nation. He sends a wrong signal to everybody which is what the Chinese leaders wanted for a long time.
This is music to my hears. Tibetan leaders have been saying , “truth can’t be erased” and it is coming true. Whatever the outcome, the very fact that there are good people like US Congressman Scott Perry, who has introduced the Bill in the House of Representatives that would recognise TIbet as an independent nation is in itself a power of truth. Every Tibetan who are the descendants of Songtsen Gampo, Trisong Deutsen and Tri Ralpachen know and believe Tibet has always been an independent nation. Expansionist China invaded and occupied Tibet by military force and colonised it.
There are competing views in the exile diaspora about the future of Tibet and four decades have passed without any tangible result. It can be safely predicted that nothing will happen if we sit on our hands. The developments in Hong Kong is a clear indication that whatever promises the CCP makes is not worth the paper it is printed on. The so called “17 point agreement”, is another episode of communist China’s duplicity and untrustworthiness.
During this Finlandization of the Tibet Movement, there has been no positive reciprocal change but the pace of assimilation and colonisation has only accelerated. Using Tibetan language as a medium of instruction for Tibetan children has been discouraged, Buddhism is strictly controlled and monasteries are run by CCP members and monks and nuns are made to sing and dance with military fatigue to ridicule our Buddhist belief. Children are banned from visiting monasteries and meeting monks and nuns to learn Tibetan language. If this continues for another 50 years, Tibet will be no more. The young people by then will have completely melted into Chinese culture and be ignorant and disinterested in their roots. That will seal the fate of Tibet. Therefore, the only way, we can survive is to regain our rightful independence.
The geopolitical and ideological clash between the US and communist China is once agin in our favour. It is now clear that it’s a battle for the US to retain its pre-eminence and the emerging kid on the block, communist China’s attempt to topple its nemeses. A golden opportunity comes once in awhile and we have to seize this opportunity to be assertive of our historical independent status.
There is a saying, “God help those who help themselves”. We must act with renewed vigour and determination to fulfil the dream of the six million Tibetans held hostage and living in a vast concentration camp in our own country. With 500,000 PLA keeping Tibet under the boot heel of communist China and mean-while plundering our rich natural resources and populating Tibet with Chinese colonisers. The colonisation of Tibetan is going to accelerate after decoupling of China with US and other western countries.
TIbet has not lost its Statehood. It is an independent State under illegal occupation. Just like Japan’s occupation of Taiwan for 50 years didn’t transfer its sovereignty to Japan, Chinese occupation of Tibet has not transferred Tibet’s sovereignty to China!!!!