WASHINGTON, August 20, 1997 (ICT) - Three members of the House International Relations Committee Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman (R-NY), Chairman, and Reps. Gary Ackerman, (D-NY) and Eni Faleomavaega (D-AS) - visited Dharamsala on August 17. ICT President Lodi Gyari, received the delegation with the Chairman of the Kashag, Kalon Tripa Sonam Topgyal; the Vice Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament; and other Tibetan officials. Soon after, they attended a public reception, which included new arrivals from Tibet, at the Central Cathedral. The delegation met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and informed him that, previous to their arrival in India, they had raised the issue of Tibet with Chinese government leaders in Beijing and urged negotiations with the Dalai lama or his representatives.

In his remarks at the public reception, Gilman praised the non-violent nature of the Tibet movement to which he attributed growing worldwide support of the Tibetan issue: "One day hopefully, the Chinese government will get the message that compassion makes more sense and much more of an impression than repression." Gilman pledged continuing Congressional action on behalf of Tibet and, as recent examples, cited the upcoming appointment of a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues and increased funding for Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

The Congressional delegation had come to Dharamsala from Delhi where they had attended India's 50th anniversary of independence, at which time they thanked Indian government officials for assisting Tibetans in exile.

submitted by the International Campagin for Tibet