[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 283 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 283
Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on
July 6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'' and expressing support for the
human rights and distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and
historical identity of the Tibetan people.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 17, 2025
Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Young, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Curtis, Ms.
Rosen, Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Sullivan) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 90th birthday of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on
July 6, 2025, as ``A Day of Compassion'' and expressing support for the
human rights and distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and
historical identity 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 northeastern 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 the leader of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, assured the
Dalai Lama that ``the Tibetan people have the right of exercising
national regional autonomy'' under Chinese rule and conveyed to the
Dalai Lama that Tibet's distinct religious and cultural traditions would
be respected, as reflected in the Seventeen Point Agreement of 1951;
Whereas the Government of the People's Republic of China, led by the Chinese
Communist Party, steadily eroded the Tibetan 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 fled Tibet after Chinese Communist forces
began shelling Lhasa and has since been residing in India, along with
tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees;
Whereas, for more than 7 decades, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama has
significantly advanced greater understanding, tolerance, harmony, and
respect among the religious faiths of the world;
Whereas the Dalai Lama has led the effort to preserve the rich and distinct
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 Tibetans, but also 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 religion of Tibetan Buddhists,
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's vision for Tibet and the world and
for a negotiated resolution that leads to meaningful autonomy for
Tibetans that ensures they are able to freely practice their religion,
culture, and language;
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; 120 Stat. 1231) 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, wherever followers of Tibetan Buddhism reside, including Tibet, the
United States, Bhutan, India, Mongolia, Nepal, the Russian Federation,
and other countries around the world, those followers 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; 105 Stat. 713) 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, United Nations General
Assembly Resolution 1723 called for ``the cessation of practices which
deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human rights and
freedoms, including their 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, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, then a 6-year-old boy, and
installing 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 ``primarily 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, 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 Tibet;
Whereas, on December 21, 2020, the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020
(subtitle E of title III of division K of Public Law 116-260; 134 Stat.
3119) was passed, strengthening the landmark Tibetan Policy Act of 2002
(22 U.S.C. 6901 note), 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; 138 Stat. 1488) 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 the People's
Republic of 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 14th Dalai Lama has highlighted the oneness of humanity and has
dedicated his life to 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 Senate--
(1) recognizes July 6, 2025, as a ``Day of Compassion'';
(2) congratulates His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on his
90th birthday and affirms its recognition of his outstanding
contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and mutual
respect within and across faiths;
(3) affirms the Tibetan people's human rights and
fundamental freedoms, including their right to exercise
regional autonomy and to protect the distinct religious,
cultural, linguistic, and historical identity of the Tibetan
people;
(4) reiterates, as outlined in the Tibetan Policy and
Support Act of 2020 (subtitle E of title III of division K of
Public Law 116-260), that the identification and installation
of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, including a future 15th
Dalai Lama, is a matter that should be determined by the
present 14th Dalai Lama and within the Tibetan Buddhist faith
community, in accordance with the inalienable right to
religious freedom;
(5) reiterates that any attempt by the Government of the
People's Republic of China or any other government to recognize
a successor or reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama and any
future Dalai Lamas not selected by the Tibetan people would
represent a clear abuse of the right to religious freedom of
Tibetan Buddhists and the Tibetan people; and
(6) requests that a copy of this resolution be presented to
His Holiness the Dalai Lama as an expression of its esteem and
respect.
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