America's new diplomatic move in Tibet
Tibet has always been a place of geostrategic prominence in the eyes of regional as well as superpowers. The United States has recently appointed a senior human rights official Robert Destro (assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor) as special coordinator for Tibetan issues, amid increasingly tense relations between Washington and Beijing. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced this decision of American administration. With this , the special coordinator for Tibetan issue will lead US efforts to promote dialogue between the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives; protect the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of Tibetans; and press for their human rights to be respected.
In July month of this year, US Secretary of State Pompeo had said that the US would restrict visas for some Chinese officials involved in blocking diplomatic access to Tibet and engaging in “human rights abuses”, adding that Washington supported “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet. US remains concerned with the People's Republic of China's repression of the Tibetan community and severe restrictions on Tibetans' religious freedom.
America's Tibetan policy :
The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act , 2019 (HR 4331), the most comprehensive policy bill on Tibet since the Tibet Policy Act- 2002. The supermajority vote on the legislation is a landmark show of support by the US for the Central Tibetan Administration, the Middle Way Policy and genuine autonomy for Tibetans, religious freedom, environmental protection of Tibetan plateau and restoration of freedom in Tibet.
To promote access to Tibet as enumerated in the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, 2019, the above bill mandates for the establishment of US Consulate in Lhasa, Tibet. As a matter of policy, the bill calls upon the Secretary to not authorize the establishment in the United States of any additional consulate of the People’s Republic of China until such time as a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet, is established.
The bill further enshrines the objectives of the Special Coordinator as to— promote substantive dialogue without preconditions between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Dalai Lama or his representatives or democratically-elected leaders of the Tibetan community leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet and coordinate with other governments in multilateral efforts toward this goal; Encourage the Government of the People’s Republic of China to address the aspirations of the Tibetan people with regard to their distinct historical, cultural, religious, and linguistic identity; Promote the human rights of the Tibetan people; Promote activities to preserve environment and water resources of the Tibetan plateau;
Encourage sustainable development in accordance with section 616(d), cultural and historical preservation, health care, education, and environmental sustainability projects for Tibetan communities in Tibet; and Promote access to Tibet in accordance with the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.
