Text: Rep. Gilman on 42nd Anniversary of "Tibetan Uprising Day"
(Gilman: Tibetan freedom fighters' cause "remains our own")"Tibetan Uprising Day" and China's "occupation" of Tibet half a century ago were the topics of a speech by the chairman emeritus of the International Relations Committee to the House of Representatives March 8.
In extended remarks, Representative Benjamin Gilman (Republican of New York) noted that March 10 would be the 42nd anniversary of the day in 1959 when "thousands of Tibetan people" died "struggling for their freedom."
In the last year, Gilman said, "the brutality of the Chinese occupation government has been exceptionably cruel to Tibetan Buddhist religious practitioners."
Monks and nuns "have been executed and tortured to death for their beliefs while the Panchen Lama still remains under detention," the New York Republican said.
It is fitting, he added, that in March the Bush administration will introduce a resolution in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Commission "condemning the Chinese government's contemptible lack of concern for the rights of the Tibetan and Chinese people."
Gilman, who lost members of his family in the Holocaust, has been an active proponent of human rights and religious freedom for both China and Tibet. He is an executive member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.
The remnants of Tibetans fighting China's Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) continued to operate out of Mustang, a remote part of northern Nepal, Gilman said, when the United States ended its assistance to them in the early 1970s.
Gilman said the Tibetans "enduring devotion" to the cause of freedom should inspire Americans.
"America--who offered them hope and then withdrew its promise--is especially indebted to the freedom fighters," Gilman said, promising that he would "look into how we might offer them more than just our sincere thanks."
The New York lawmaker urged his colleagues to "bear in mind the Mustang freedom fighters on this occasion and begin to consider how we can demonstrate in real terms that their cause remains our own."
Following is the text of Gilman's remarks:
(begin text)
DON'T FORGET THE MUSTANG FREEDOM FIGHTERS
HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
(Extensions of Remarks)
March 08, 2001HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN OF NEW YORK
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, March 8, 2001Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, March 10th is the 42nd anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day and the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Every year we appropriately celebrate this solemn day by recognizing and remembering the thousands of Tibetan people who gave their lives on March 10th struggling for their freedom. This past year the brutality of the Chinese occupation government has been exceptionably cruel to Tibetan Buddhist religious practitioners. Many monks and nuns have been executed and tortured to death for their beliefs while the Panchen Lama still remains under detention. Accordingly, it is fitting that this month the Bush administration will introduce a resolution in Geneva at the United Nations Human Rights Commission condemning the Chinese government's contemptible lack of concern for the rights of the Tibetan and Chinese people.
We welcome the Bush administration's open-eyed approach to dealing with the Chinese government on human rights issues and its signals that it is willing to assist our friends on Taiwan. We are therefore hopeful that our government's policy toward Tibet will be brought in line with this refreshing pragmatism. A good start would be by remembering and recognizing the people of Kham who began their resistance against Chinese expansionism almost 51 years ago when the Communists launched their invasion of eastern Tibet in 1950. The brave Khampas and people from Amdo being intensely loyal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and willing to sacrifice their lives to protect their religious beliefs and institutions, bore the brunt of the PLA's brutal effort to conquer Tibet. Years before Mao's hardened shock troops marched into Lhasa, the people of Kham and Amdo struggled against all odds to turn back the atheist Communist invaders. To this day they still pay dearly for their religious beliefs and struggle for their rights. Their lands and their monasteries have yet to be completely returned to them and the Chinese government has yet to pay reparations.
During the 1950's and up until the early 1970's our government supported the Tibetan cause by training and equipping their fighters and by drawing attention in the international community to the Tibetan plight. When our government ended our assistance to the Tibetan fighters in the early 70's who were then operating out of Mustang, a remote area of northern Nepal, many of them stayed in Nepal. To this day, a number of these men and women still struggle for their survival while some have passed on.
Fourteen years ago, the Congress passed a resolution condemning China's occupation of Tibet. When President Reagan signed it, Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, a great Khampa, a good friend and His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy urged Congressman Charlie Rose and myself to send two of our staff assistants to travel to India and Nepal to learn more about the Tibetan issue. Towards the end of that visit, they met with a number of the Mustang fighters in a small camp in Pokara, Nepal. Our congressional staff reported back to us that these Khampas were still prepared to give their lives for their nation and remained intensely loyal to the United States. They continued to believe that we would never abandon them although it appeared to the outside world that that was exactly what we had done. The camp leader remarked to our staff, ``friends don't abandon friends and America stands up for what is right.''
When the Congress heard about these brave, earnest Khampas, we committed ourselves to renewing our Nation's contact with the Tibetan people. We passed the historic sense of the Congress resolution stating that Tibet is an occupied country and His Holiness the Dalai Lamia and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile are the true representatives of the Tibetan people. In addition, we directed the Voice of America to transmit into Tibet, thus giving the Tibetan people their first clear window to the outside world. Moreover, we ensured that various forms of political and material assistance began to flow to the Tibetan diaspora.
Accordingly, on this March 10th anniversary, may the Khampa fighters and all the elderly men and women of Tibet who continue their struggle inspire us today by their courage and enduring devotion to the cause of Tibetan freedom. As America--who offered them hope and then withdrew its promise--is especially indebted to the freedom fighters, I will look into how we might offer them more than just our sincere thanks. I have learned that many Tibetan elders are living in destitute conditions in Nepal and India. Let us all bear in mind the Mustang freedom fighters on this occasion and begin to consider how we can demonstrate in real terms that their cause remains our own.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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