119-hres515

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 515 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 515

Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 
 6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'', and expressing support for the 
human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection 
 of the Tibetan people.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 13, 2025

 Mr. McCaul (for himself, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, 
 Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Lawler, Ms. Schakowsky, Mrs. Kim, and Mr. 
 Raskin) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

 RESOLUTION

Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on July 
 6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'', and expressing support for the 
human rights, religious freedom, and cultural and linguistic protection 
 of the Tibetan people.

Whereas July 6, 2025, marks the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai 
 Lama;
Whereas the 14th Dalai Lama was born in north-eastern Tibet in 1935, was 
 enthroned as the 14th incarnation in 1940, and was called upon to assume 
 temporal leadership of Tibet in 1950 in response to a tumultuous time as 
 the newly established People's Republic of China sent its military to 
 seize control of Tibet;
Whereas Communist Party of China Chairman Mao Zedong assured the Dalai Lama that 
 Tibet would have autonomy under Chinese rule and conveyed to the Dalai 
 Lama that Tibet's unique religious and cultural traditions would be 
 respected, and even formalized these assurances in the 17 Point 
 Agreement of 1951;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China, led by the Chinese 
 Communist Party, steadily eroded Tibet's autonomy to which it committed 
 in the Seventeen Point Agreement through repressive political and 
 military actions, leading to tension, resistance, and ultimately the 
 Dalai Lama's exile in 1959;
Whereas, in March 1959, the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet after the People's 
 Liberation Army began shelling Lhasa and has since then been residing in 
 India, along with tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees;
Whereas, for more than seven decades, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has 
 significantly advocated for interfaith dialogue, emphasizing tolerance, 
 harmony, and respect among major world religions;
Whereas the Dalai Lama has led the effort to preserve the rich and unique 
 cultural, religious, historical, and linguistic heritage of the people 
 of Tibet while working to safeguard other endangered cultures throughout 
 the world;
Whereas the Dalai Lama has been gravely concerned by the degraded state of the 
 environment of Tibet and the unchecked exploitation of the natural 
 resources of Tibet, including fresh water, because they have 
 implications not only for the people of Tibet, but for the whole of 
 Asia;
Whereas, beginning in 1979, the Dalai Lama has visited various parts of the 
 United States and subsequently gained the admiration of all levels of 
 society in the United States;
Whereas the people of the United States have consistently expressed their 
 appreciation for the culture and Tibetan Buddhism, including through 
 their support of its preservation, and political and diplomatic support 
 for the Dalai Lama in his capacity as a spiritual leader;
Whereas there is strong bipartisan support from successive Congresses and 
 Administrations for the Dalai Lama and his vision for Tibet and the 
 world and for a negotiated resolution between Tibet and China that leads 
 to meaningful autonomy for Tibetans that ensures they are able to freely 
 practice their religion, culture, and language without repercussions;
Whereas, on October 17, 2007, Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to 
 the Dalai Lama, finding in the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold 
 Medal Act (Public Law 109-287) that he is recognized around the world as 
 ``a leading figure of moral and religious authority'' and is ``the 
 unrivaled spiritual and cultural leader of the Tibetan people'';
Whereas followers of Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet, the United States, India, 
 Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, Russia, and elsewhere look to the Dalai Lama 
 for religious leadership and spiritual guidance;
Whereas the Universal Declaration of Human Rights holds that ``[e]veryone has 
 the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,'' including 
 the freedom to change religion or belief and to practice it in private 
 or public;
Whereas at least 159 Tibetans in Tibet are known to have self-immolated, with 
 statements or records left by many of them calling for freedom for Tibet 
 and the return of the Dalai Lama;
Whereas, in 1991, 

section 355 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal 
 Years 1992 and 1993 (Public Law 102-138) expressed the sense of Congress 
 that Tibet ``is an occupied country under the established principles of 
 international law'' and that ``Tibet's true representatives are the 
 Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile as recognized by the 
 Tibetan people'';
Whereas, in 1961, with the support of the United States, the United Nations 
 General Assembly recognized the Tibetan people's ``fundamental human 
 rights and freedoms, including the right to self-determination'';
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China has interfered in the 
 identification and installation of reincarnated leaders of Tibetan 
 Buddhism, as part of its efforts to maintain control over Tibet, 
 including in 1995 arbitrarily detaining the then-recently identified 
 11th Panchen Lama, then a six-year-old boy, and purporting to install 
 China's own candidate, Gyaltsen Norbu, as Panchen Lama;
Whereas, in 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama declared that the responsibility for 
 identifying a future 15th Dalai Lama will rest with officials of Gaden 
 Phodrang, the Dalai Lama's office, and that ``apart from the 
 reincarnation recognized through such legitimate methods, no recognition 
 or acceptance should be given to a candidate chosen for political ends 
 by anyone, including those in the People's Republic of China'';
Whereas, in 2011, the 14th Dalai Lama initiated a historic devolution of power 
 to the Central Tibetan Administration

    (CTA) in which he formally 
 renounced his political role, transferring full democratic governance to 
 an elected Tibetan leadership, thereby ensuring a democratic and secular 
 political system for the Tibetan people;
Whereas the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (subtitle E of title III of 
 division K of Public Law 116-260) was passed, strengthening the landmark 
 Tibetan Policy Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 6901 note on December 21, 2020, 
 the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020), including by--

    (1) addressing the issue of water security and environmental 
destruction in Tibet;

    (2) providing humanitarian assistance and support for Tibetans in Tibet 
and in exile;

    (3) stipulating that the objectives of the United States Special 
Coordinator for Tibet include promoting ``substantive dialogue without 
preconditions between the Government of the People's Republic of China and 
the Dalai Lama, his or her representatives, or democratically elected 
leaders of the Tibetan community'';

    (4) stating that it is the policy of the United States that ``decisions 
regarding the selection, education, and veneration of Tibetan Buddhist 
religious leaders are exclusively spiritual matters that should be made by 
the appropriate religious authorities within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition 
and in the context of the will of practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism'' and 
that the wishes of the 14th Dalai Lama ``should play a key role'' in the 
selection, education, and veneration of a future 15th Dalai Lama; and

    (5) stating that it is the policy of the United States to hold 
accountable, including through the imposition of sanctions, any officials 
of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party who 
directly interfere with the identification and installation of a future 
Dalai Lama;

Whereas, on July 12, 2024, the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute 
 Act (Public Law 118-70) was signed into law, with the Act affirming that 
 it is the policy of the United States that the Tibet issue must be 
 resolved in accordance with international law by peaceful means, through 
 dialogue without preconditions, and that China should cease propagating 
 disinformation about Tibet's history, and stating that it is the sense 
 of Congress that the People's Republic of China's claims that Tibet has 
 been part of the People's Republic of China since ``ancient times'' are 
 ``historically inaccurate'';
Whereas the Central Tibetan Administration, the institution that represents and 
 reflects to the greatest extent the aspirations of the Tibetan diaspora 
 around the world, has officially decided to celebrate the 14th Dalai 
 Lama's 90th birth year as the ``Year of Compassion''; and
Whereas the Dalai Lama has highlighted the oneness of humanity and has dedicated 
 his life for the promotion of compassion and human values, and is 
 considered a leader of compassion by the international community: Now, 
 therefore, be it
 Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

    (1) recognizes ``A Day of Compassion'';

    (2) congratulates His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th 
 birthday and affirms its recognition of his outstanding 
 contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and 
 religious understanding;

    (3) affirms the Tibetan people's fundamental human rights 
 and freedoms, including their right to self-determination and 
 the protection of their distinct religious, cultural, 
 linguistic, and national identity;

    (4) reiterates as outlined in the Tibetan Policy and 
 Support Act that the identification and installation of Tibetan 
 Buddhist religious leaders are within the authority of the 
 Tibetan Buddhist faith community, in accordance with their 
 inalienable right to religious freedom and a future 15th Dalai 
 Lama is a matter that should be determined solely by the 
 present 14th Dalai Lama;

    (5) reiterates that any attempt by the Government of the 
 People's Republic of China to identify or install Tibetan 
 Buddhist religious leaders, including a future 15th Dalai Lama, 
 is invalid interference in the right to religious freedom of 
 Tibetan Buddhists around the world, including in Tibet and in 
 the United States; and

    (6) encourages that this resolution be presented to His 
 Holiness the Dalai Lama as an expression of esteem and respect.
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