# Plain Language Summary of H. RES. 1072

This is a symbolic resolution from Congress expressing strong disapproval of China's treatment of Tibetan people. It's not a law that will change anything directly, but rather an official statement of the House of Representatives' position on human rights issues in Tibet. The resolution marks the 65th anniversary of a 1959 uprising when the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, fled to India after China's military moved to take control of his residence.

The resolution focuses on several concerns about how China has treated Tibetans over the decades. Congress points to policies that separate Tibetan children from their families and force them into schools that teach mainly in Mandarin Chinese rather than Tibetan, which they argue erodes Tibetan culture and language. The resolution also mentions that roughly 1.8 million Tibetan nomads have been forced into settlements without proper compensation or job guarantees. Additionally, it highlights restrictions on religious freedom, noting that China interferes with Tibetan religious practices and that Freedom House rated Tibet as having virtually zero freedom.

The resolution specifically addresses a recent hydropower dam project in the Derge region that would displace about 2,000 Tibetans and destroy six historic monasteries with centuries-old religious artifacts. When Tibetans protested this project in February 2024, Chinese authorities detained over 1,000 protesters. Congress is demanding that China release these detainees, apologize for the detentions, and halt the dam project until local Tibetans genuinely consent to it. The resolution also calls on the Biden administration to pressure China to respect Tibetan autonomy rights and cultural heritage protections that China has committed to internationally.

Recognizing the 65th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising Day of March 10, 1959, and condemning human rights violations related to the hydropower dam construction project in Derge.

McGovern, James P.

<p>This resolution (1) recognizes the 65th anniversary of the flight of the Dalai Lama from Tibet in response to Chinese military aggression; (2) confirms longstanding support for human rights and self-determination for the Tibetan people; and (3) condemns China's persistent efforts to erase the Tibetan people's distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and historical identity, most recently through a proposed hydropower dam in eastern Tibet.</p>