U.S. Policy Toward Tibet

It is a turbulent time in international relations, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where security concerns dominate policy discussions daily. In this environment, some important issues are getting far too little attention, especially on the international stage, and the status of Tibet is one of these issues. It is an important moment to shine a light on the events in Tibet. Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, and other Tibetan leaders in exile convened a first of its kind conference in October, the Five-Fifty Forum. The objective was to establish a 5- year plan for negotiations with China on Tibet's future or, if negotiations fail, a plan for 50 more years of resistance. The context of these discussions is a period of increased uncertainty about Tibet's future. The Dalai Lama has advocated a compromise, called the Middle Way, seeking autonomy within China for the people of Tibet rather than independence from China. But the Tibetan people and the world are increasingly forced to consider what will happen after the Dalai Lama's leadership. It is still unknown how the Dalai Lama will choose to determine his succession and reincarnation, but China, having kidnapped the Panchen Lama as a child in 1995 and put an imposter in his place, may attempt to appoint a fraudulent successor. A result that is seen as illegitimate or intolerable by the people of Tibet could cause a wave of protest and resistance, ushering in new heights of oppression. Human rights and personal freedoms in Tibet are already in a poor and worsening state. According to the State Department's 2016 Human Rights Report, the Government of China engages in the severe repression of Tibet's unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage by, among other means, strictly curtailing the civil rights of the Tibetan population, including the freedoms of speech, religion, association, assembly, and movement.