[The following message to the World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet by President Clinton was read on the inaugural session by Congressman Benjamin Gilman on April 23, 1997. Bhuchung Tsering]

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON - April 17, 1997

Warm greetings to everyone gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Third World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet. I am pleased to welcome all the participants, and especially His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose devotion to the Tibetan people and inspiring advocacy of the nonviolence and dialogue have earned the world's lasting admiration.

All Americans cherish the rights guaranteed to us by our founders in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We have worked to extend them not only to our own citizens, but also to people everywhere, recognizing that these freedoms are the birthright of all humankind. It is heartening that, with the growth and development of the human rights movement, there has been a greater awareness and appreciation that such has been a greater awareness and appreciation that such rights are universal and not limited by political boundaries.

We must continue to speak out whenever human rights are threatened or denied, and I am grateful for the continuing efforts of leaders like you, who have done so much to advance democracy, human dignity, and religious freedom worldwide.

Best wishes for a successful convention.

Bill Clinton