Published by: World Tibet Network News Thursday - May 15, 1997

I am honored to preside over this morning's hearing as this Committee

begins a long-overdue assessment of the travail of the people of Tibet and

their government. It is a special pleasure to welcome our former colleague,

Claiborne Pell, the distinguished former chairman of this committee and a

faithful friend of Tibet. You honor us, Mr. Chairman, by your presence here

today.

And it is always an honor to have that distinguished American Jeane

Kirkpatrick with us. Her dedication to restoring freedom in Tibet is

legendary. And of course we welcome Senator Moynihan, who will join us on

the dais. Pat Moynihan's dedication to the welfare of Tibet is a matter of

record -- and not only that his daughter, Maura, who has done magnificent

work on behalf of Tibet and Tibetan refugees, will also be testifying

later.

Then there are other distinguished witnesses here this morning: Mr. Jeffrey

Bader, Deputy assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific

Affairs, Prof. Robert Thurman of Columbia University, and Lodi Gyari, the

Personal Representative in the United States of His Holiness the Dalai

Lama. The Committee is grateful for your being here today.

A brief overview may be useful as we proceed. For almost 50 years, China

has cruelly and brutally occupied Tibet, carved up its territory, destroyed

its monasteries, murdered its people, and diluted the Tibetan population to

the point that Tibetans are in the minority in their own country.

China limits the number of young people who may enter religious life. Monks

are forced to undergo political indoctrination and to renounce the Dalai

Lama. The Dalai Lama himself is the focus of virulent verbal attacks. His

photograph is banned. Merely having a photo of the Dalai Lama in one's

home, or in a monastery, can result in a prison sentence. The number of

political prisoners has increased dramatically at least in part because of

a campaign by Beijing to "limit criminal activity in the guise of religious

practice."

China has interfered with the Dalai Lama's choice of the Panchen Lama,

Tibet's second most important religious figure. The Chinese government

detained the Dalai Lama's choice, a six-year-old boy, and put its own

candidate in place.

Last week, it was revealed that China had secretly tried, convicted and

sentenced to jail for 6 years a senior Tibetan monk, named Chadrel

Rinpoche, who participated in the Dalai Lama's selection of the Panchen

Lama.

I again urge the U.S. government to seek the release of Mr. Chadrel and

other Tibetan religious and political prisoners.

So, for almost half a century, the Tibetan have resisted Chinese

occupation, both inside Tibet and in exile. In India and Nepal, Tibet's

people are preserving their culture until the day they can return to their

homeland. The United States is grateful to those countries for their

hospitality and compassion for the Tibetans.

The United States itself provides critical support to the refugees. I hope

and expect that the material aid -- including vaccinations, and support for

resettlement and education activities -- will be continued and where

necessary, increased. And the American people must continue to life their

hearts in prayer for the Tibetan people.

I should emphasize that Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America also

provide invaluable support to the Tibetan people. Since radio Free Asia

began its Tibetan language service last December, sales of short-wave

radios inside Tibet have risen. We learned from veterans of the struggle

against communism in Europe how vital our radio broadcasts were to

disseminating the truth and building morale. Radio Free Asia is carrying on

that tradition for the oppressed people of Tibet, as it is for the people

of China, Vietnam, North Korea, Burma and other countries.

I was pleased that President Clinton met the Dalai Lama during His

Holiness's April visit to the United states. The President said he would

urge China to enter into a dialogue with the Dalai Lama, a very welcome

statement. But the President's wish to play a constructive role in Tibetan

can be fulfilled by the immediate appointment of a special Envoy or

Coordinator for Tibet, followed by a serious undertaking to persuade the

government of China to allow that Special Envoy into Tibet and access to

prisons. Such an appointment would emphasize the Administration's sincerity

about human rights in China and Tibet.

Now it's time to hear from our distinguished witnesses. First, will be the

distinguished former Chairman of this Committee, the Honorable Claiborne

Pell.