House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi traveled to India with a bi-partisan delegation to visit the spiritual leader The Dalai Lama and to shed light on the alleged human rights abuse of Tibetans.
“As we visit His Holiness the Dalai Lama, our bipartisan delegation comes in his spirit of faith and peace. We come on this visit to be inspired by His Holiness and demonstrate our commitment to the Tibetan people, to their faith, their culture and their language,” Pelosi said.
China, which took control of Tibet in what it calls a “peaceful liberation” long has been accused of suppressing Tibetan culture. Throughout Tibet, reports come out of people engaging in isolated protest against Beijing. Recently, a 16-year-old boy set himself on fire while yelling “Tibet wants freedom” and “Let His Holiness the Dalai Lama come back to Tibet.”
Representative Jim McGovern, a Democrat traveling with Pelosi, has called for a new U.S. policy toward Tibet to safeguard the identity of the Tibetan people and hold China accountable for human rights abuses.
However, these issues out Washington in a sticky situation. President Donald Trump is now looking toward China as a potential piece of leverage to use against North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.
The Dalai Lama is still considered a dangerous separatist by the Chinese government. He has spent a lot of his life as technically a refugee. “Here the last 58 years I am the longest guest of Indian government,” the Dalai Lama said. “But, emotionally, some concern about deep inside Tibet, and in China proper there are 400 million Buddhists.”
Following Trump’s victory in November, the spiritual leader said he was interested in meeting the president. That invitation, however, may not be coming considering recent issues especially continued provocations by North Korea and China’s willingness to work with the United States.
