Trump turns heat on China, signs Tibet policy

Dharamsala: US President Donald Trump signed into law a bill that calls for establishing a US consulate in Tibet and building an international coalition to ensure that the next Dalai Lama is appointed solely by the Tibetan Buddhist community without China’s interference.

The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA) modifies and re-authorizes various programs and provisions related to Tibet.

Trump signed the act as part of the massive USD 2.3 trillion package for the year-end bill to provide long-delayed coronavirus relief and fund the federal government.

Built on the historic Tibet Policy Act of 2002, the TPSA makes it official the US policy that decisions regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama are exclusively within the authority of the current Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people.

Any interference by Chinese government officials will be met with serious sanctions and be deemed inadmissible into the US.

The bill not only enumerates the evolution of Tibetan democracy under the guidance of the Dalai Lama but also commends him for his decision to implement democratic governance and also commends the Tibetan exile community for successfully adopting a system of self-governance with democratic institutions to choose their leaders.

In a significant achievement for the Tibetan movement, the bill formally acknowledged the CTA (Central Tibetan Administration) as the legitimate institution reflecting the aspirations of the Tibetan diaspora around the world and the Sikyong as the President of the CTA.

The TPSA recognizes the importance of traditional Tibetan grassland stewardship in mitigating the negative effects of climate change in the region as opposed to the Chinese government’s forced resettlement of the Tibetan nomads.

In addition, it calls for greater international cooperation to monitor the environment on the Tibetan plateau.

The Tibetan exile administration is based in Dharamsala, India.

Image courtesy of (credit: Wikipedia)

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