Dear John,

China has continued to brutally oppress the Tibetan people since it forced the Dalai Lama into exile in 1959. The destruction of Tibetan freedoms, of their authentic culture and of the environment and way of life, is resisted courageously by Tibetans, but they need strong international support to face what would be the ultimate insult to their identity.

The Chinese government has made clear its plans to select the successor of the current Dalai Lama, against his and Tibetans’ wishes and traditions, as they did already in 1995 with the Panchen Lama, another key religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism. At that time, when a six-year-old boy was identified as the Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama, China abducted the child and his family and installed its own fake Panchen Lama in his place. The child and his family have not been seen since, and China now plans to use the fake Panchen Lama to select a sham Dalai Lama.

But under the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA)—which was just introduced in the US House and Senate—that blatant violation of freedom of religion will have serious consequences.

Sponsored by Representative James McGovern (D-Ma.) and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) and others, the TPSA will impose sanctions on any government official in China who is involved in trying to appoint the Dalai Lama’s successor. Passage of the TPSA would be a huge step forward in the fight for justice in Tibet.

The legislation will also:

• Mandate that no new Chinese consulates can be established in the US until a US consulate is established in Lhasa, the historic capital of Tibet.
• Require that the State Department push for dialogue between Chinese officials and envoys of the Dalai Lama to negotiate a just agreement on Tibet’s future, without preconditions.
• Recognize the critical role for the world of Tibet’s fragile environment and its rivers, which serve over a billion people across Asia, and the need to act cooperatively in the region.
• Ensure ongoing funding for humanitarian projects to support Tibetans in Tibet and in exile.

Between the TPSA and Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018—which was the biggest US legislation on Tibet passed in over a decade—our lawmakers are taking the Tibetan human rights crisis more seriously than ever. It’s because of our movement, made up of people like you, that we’ve gotten to this moment. And you can help us get this legislation passed—and notch a huge victory for Tibet.

In the coming weeks, you’ll play a critical role in our advocacy on Capitol Hill—so stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with the legislation here.

Once again, thank you for your support of ICT.

In solidarity,

Matteo Mecacci
President