Tibet Lobby Day - What was it about?

[michaela]

This is the article about Tibet Lobby Day that was held simultaneously in Washington, Brussels, and Canberra on 27-29 March. This article specifically discussed about the Tibet Lobby Day in Washington. The two of the objectives of the lobby day is Tibetan activists would like to request to continue the funding of Tibet programs and to support the aspiration of the Tibetan people to safeguard the district identity.

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Tibet Supporters Converge on Capitol Hill to Lobby Congress

More than 130 people from 23 states converged on Capitol Hill to lobby for Tibet the week before Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida on April 6.
Although the leaders' meeting is expected to focus on trade and the need for China to do more to rein in the nuclear and missile programs of its neighbor and ally North Korea, Tibet remains a contentious issue between the two nations.

"Congress has shown a strong interest in Tibet since the 1980s, passing dozens of laws and resolutions related to Tibet, speaking out about conditions in Tibet, and welcoming visits by the Dalai Lama," according to a 2014 report by the Congressional Research Service. "Such actions have long been a source of friction in the U.S.-China relationship. China charges that they amount to support for challenges to Chinese rule in Tibet."

Bhuchung Tsering of the International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, which organized Tibet Lobby Day, said, "Looking at the meeting of President Xi of China and President Trump, we want to send a message to President Trump, through Congress and to Trump directly, that there is traditional bipartisan support for dialog with China on Tibet," he said, adding "Secretary [of State Rex] Tillerson says he is committed to promoting dialogue on Tibet and receiving the Dalai Lama."

Tibet Lobby Day was held simultaneously in Washington, Brussels and Canberra, Australia, March 27-29.

"U.S. policy has not changed," Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the State Department's East Asia and Pacific Bureau, said Friday, adding that the U.S. recognizes the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) and Tibetan autonomous prefectures to be a part of the People's Republic of China.

"We remain deeply concerned about human rights abuses and restrictions, including those imposed on religious freedom, in the TAR and elsewhere in China," she said. "We remain committed to supporting meaningful autonomy for Tibetans and the preservation of their unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions.

"The United States encourages the People's Republic of China to engage with the Dalai Lama and his representative without preconditions."

Ngawang Norbu of Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the Tibetan-Americans and Tibet supporters who spoke with more than 250 members of Congress and their staffs during Tibet Lobby Day.

The activists asked them to continue funding Tibet programs and to promote efforts to gain access to Tibetan areas for U.S. officials, citizens and journalists. They also want the Trump administration to implement the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (TPA), which has the stated purpose of supporting "the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity."

"The important thing today is that there's a new administration in America and, along with that, the exile Tibetan administration in India has declared 2017 to be a year of action for Tibet, and so that's why I'm here," Norbu told VOA on Wednesday. "It's our responsibility and obligation to lobby for Tibet, and whether our requests are responded to or not is, of course, up to the leadership here, but in our mind we think our objectives and efforts will bear fruit."

Bhuchung expects to see the reintroduction of the proposed Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act by Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts; Representative Randy Hultgren, a Republican from Illinois; Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican; and Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat.

North Carolinian Marah Litchford, who has expressed concern about religious freedom in Tibet, participated in the Washington movement. "They listen," she said. "You just have to talk loudly."
Nike Ching and Steven Herman contributed to this report, which originated with reporting by Dondhon Namling of the VOA Tibetan service.

https://www.voanews.com/a/tibet-supports-converge-capitol-hill-lobby-congress/3791501.html

[grandmapele]

"We remain deeply concerned about human rights abuses and restrictions, including those imposed on religious freedom, in the TAR and elsewhere in China," she said. "We remain committed to supporting meaningful autonomy for Tibetans and the preservation of their unique religious, cultural and linguistic traditions.

https://www.voanews.com/a/tibet-supports-converge-capitol-hill-lobby-congress/3791501.html

I like what this Anna Richey-Allen, a spokeswoman for the State Department's East Asia and Pacific Bureau said. What about religious freedom for the rest of the Tibetans? What about their religious freedom to practice what they want without the CTA or anyone harassing, threatening and abusing them for their believes? They are talking about China not giving them religious freedom when the CTA themselves do not give religious freedom to the Tibetans who practice Dorje Shugden. They better start giving religious freedom and practice what they preach before they are in a position to ask for religious freedom from China for Tibet.

I really think this Anna Richey-Allen should do her homework before opening her trap.

[Brian Little]

CTA should practice what they are preaching. They are lying against their own people for saying bad things about people who supposedly go against the Dalai Lama by practising Dorje Shugden. Bad mouthing their very own people and denying them religious freedom but on the outside world, they are playing the pity me card complaining all they want against China. Wonder when will they stop doing this.

[SabS]

I read with amazement at the ignorance of the Lobbyists. They have not bothered to research what they are lobbying for nor the progress of Tibet in China. The Tibetans are given more freedom and protection to practice their choice of religion than those in 'refugee' camps in India. China had pumped and is still pumping in so much funds to preserving the Tibetan culture, refurbishing & preserving old historical or holy buildings, improving infrastructure and given ownerships to the Tibetan people whereas under the rule of the Dalai Lama and his ministry, it was feudalistic with no hope of ever owning their own land. It seems that the Lobbyists are just taking the opportunity to 'bash' China and create more wrong views of the Chinese. I noticed that President Trump had invited President Xi Jinping to his Mar-a-Lago retreat in Florida rather than the White House. Does it not show that President Trump is welcoming the President of China as a friend. Is CTA fearful of their fundings being cut off and engaged the Lobbyists with lies?

Lobbyists should examine CTA and the policies of discrimination against human rights and religious freedom towards their own people. CTA dictates what religion their people can or cannot practice and persecute those who goes against their edicts. The monks who continued with the practice given by the Gurus are robbed of their monasteries that they had personally sponsored and built which also are the only home that they had lived in. Can you imagine monks who had escaped Tibet in perilous journey being betrayed by their own government and had to seek refuge yet again? Or the Tibetan refugees who placed so much hope in CTA to bring them home instead faced corruption and suppression. CTA sows hatred amongst their own people to segregate and control. Every aspect of CTA accusations against China are being practiced by themselves.

The lobbyists say they seek for dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama but had they examine the reasons why it had not happened? Have they checked the propaganda that CTA throws at China? The vulgarities and accusations? If you were the government of China, would you even entertain such rudeness and expect fair agreements? What CTA is so blind to is that China as the giant of today's economy could be a good friend to have. What CTA receives from current sponsors, I am sure China is just as capable of giving and more. And the reality is that the Tibet that CTA wants to return to is within China, a fact accepted by Head of States worldwide. So why is CTA dealing with people who are just "loud voices" and not the actual people who holds the approval for Tibetan-In-Exiles' return? Time to wise up before its too late, Sikyong Lobsang Sangay. You as leader of CTA should have the best interest of your people and should use your educated intelligence to fulfil it.