Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A bipartisan group of US lawmakers has urged the Trump administration to make Tibet a priority in its foreign policy, pressing the State Department to advance dialogue on the region’s future, defend religious freedom in the Dalai Lama’s succession, and counter Chinese disinformation about Tibet.
In a letter to Riley M. Barnes, the US State Department’s Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, the lawmakers said Washington should strengthen efforts to implement existing laws and reinforce long-standing American support for the Tibetan people.
The letter was led by Congressman Jim McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and Congresswoman Young Kim, a Republican from California, along with eight other House members from both parties. “We know what is possible when the Administration and Congress work together to promote America’s interests regarding Tibet,” the lawmakers wrote. The lawmakers outlined eight areas where Congress and the administration could collaborate.
Among the top priorities is promoting dialogue between the People’s Republic of China and representatives of the Dalai Lama or the Central Tibetan Administration.
The letter also stressed the need to protect religious freedom in matters related to the succession of the Dalai Lama.
