Tibetan leader welcomes: US bill that reaffirms rights, angering China

NEW DELHI/BEIJING: The political head of Tibetans in exile on Tuesday welcomed legislation passed by the US Congress that reaffirms the rights of Tibetans to choose a successor to their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a move that infuriated China.

China regards the exiled Dalai Lama as a dangerous “splittist”, or separatist, and the latest show of support from the US Congress could increase already tense ties between the two countries.

Lobsang Sangay, president of the Tibetan Central Administration (CTA), which is known as the Tibetan government-in-exile, told media Monday’s passing by the US House of Representatives and the Senate of the Tibet Policy and Support Act (TPSA) was historic. The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of meddling in its internal affairs and warned the US against signing the legislation into law, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular briefing on Tuesday.

“We urge the US side to stop meddling in China’s internal affairs and refrain from signing into law these negative clauses and acts, lest it further harms our further cooperation and bilateral relations,” Wang said.

China seized control of Tibet after its troops entered the region in 1950 in what it calls a “peaceful liberation”. Tibet has since become one of the most restricted and sensitive areas in the country. The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The legislation calls for the establishment of a US consulate in Tibet’s main city of Lhasa, the absolute right of Tibetans to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and the preservation of Tibet’s environment. The legislation also proposes a “regional framework on water security” and greater participation from the community in dialogue with China on monitoring the region’s environment.