CHANDIGARH: The eight-member US Congress delegation, which is on a two-day visit to Dharamshala, slammed the Chinese government on Wednesday for using economic leverages to silence the friends of Tibet.
At a public felicitation ceremony where Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was also present, leader of the delegation Nancy Pelosi said, “China uses economic leverages to silence the voices of friends of Tibet. Chinese government weighs heavily on any country or corporation or person who speaks out for the Tibetan people. We will not be silenced by the brutal tactics of China. If we do not speak out against the repression in Tibet, we lose all moral authority to talk about human rights anywhere else in the world.”
| Stressing that Tibet should have autonomy, the Democratic leader said, “To some in China, an autonomous Tibet is inconceivable, but to us, it is inevitable. We must shorten the distance between the inconceivable to them and inevitable to us.” |
Saying that a free Tibet is a dream for thousands of Tibetans worldwide, Pelosi said, “We saw the spark in the eyes of the children at the Tibetan Children’s Village. We saw hope that they will one day return home to Tibet. When we visited the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, we saw the hope that they would bring the authenticity of Tibetan art home to Tibet. When we heard the Prime Minister-in-exile Lobsang Sangay speaking, we saw hope for the progress of freedom for Tibet.”
Pleading the Trump administration to soon meet the Dalai Lama, Congressman McGovern said, “America is a leading nation of the free world and plays a pivotal role in the promotion of peace around the world. Nancy Pelosi has been a friend of the Tibetan people, who has stood with us in the most critical of times and situations. I thank all of I thank all of you today for expressing your genuine support for the Tibetan cause and solidarity for Tibetans inside Tibet.”
“The congressional delegation sends a message of hope, justice and freedom for Tibetans inside Tibet and the world. As you entered the ceremony, you have seen the smiles of the Tibetan children and public, these smiles reflect the smiles of the six million Tibetan people,” said President and Prime Minister-in-exile of Tibet, Lobsang Sangay.
