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