(TibetanReview.net, Oct19’23) – Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Ranking Member Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) of the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have on Oct 18 issued a joint statement regarding ongoing efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the CCP’s repression of the Tibetan people.
The statement followed their meeting with Hollywood star and Tibet activist Richard Gere and Sikyong (executive head) Mr Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), reported wispolitics.com Oct 18.
Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi had bemoaned the fact that “Tibetans have suffered horrendous human rights abuses at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party over the years, including torture, arbitrary arrest or detention, acts of repression aimed at individuals outside the country, and other serious restrictions on Tibetans’ basic freedoms and autonomy.”
They have also expressed disappointment over the fact that “in recent months, Xi Jinping has even expanded the crackdown on Tibetan rights, further intervened in the Dalai Lama’s succession process, and subjected Tibetans to mass DNA collection and surveillance.”
And they have made clear their unified support for the Tibetan people, saying: “Today, we stand unified in support of the Tibetan people, and call on the CCP to end its occupation of Tibet. All Tibetans must have the right to peacefully express themselves without fear of reprisal, and we look forward to working with key stakeholders, like Mr Richard Gere and Sikyong (President) Penpa Tsering, to find a peaceful resolution to the CCP’s brutal repression of Tibet.”