WHEREAS:

The people of Tibet have faced over fifty years of oppression and cultural genocide from the Chinese regime. Many thousands of Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and nuns, have been arrested, incarcerated without trials and executed. There is no freedom of expression, and unarmed demonstrators are met with bullets. Any opposition to the regime, almost exclusively non-violent, is ruthlessly and violently suppressed; and

WHEREAS:

The regime in China treats Tibet like a colony. Millions of Chinese have been resettled into Tibet. They have taken over the economic and political infrastructure, and have forced the Tibetan people to become powerless and stateless serfs; and

WHEREAS:

The religious persecution of the ancient Tibetan Buddhist religion has been massive. Almost all of the monasteries and most of the artistic and literary treasures have been systematically destroyed by the Chinese army. Monks and nuns have been killed and incarcerated simply for refusing to give up their faith. Being one of the great spiritual civilizations in the world, the people of Tibet have been deprived of their religious hierarchy and spiritual supports; and

WHEREAS:

The Dalai Lama and his millions of followers, who have escaped oppression to resettle in India, have sought to regain control of their homeland by exclusively non-violent means. They are relying on the public opinion of the world to pressure the leaders of China to loosen the yoke of oppression, and to allow for autonomy and self-determination for the people of Tibet; and

WHEREAS:

The United States has diplomatic and economic relationships that are crucial to the Chinese regime. They would not want to risk losing these benefits.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That the United States use its diplomatic and economic influence to assist the people of Tibet to achieve autonomy and self-determination, and to end the oppression and cultural genocide being perpetrated against them.

SUBMITTED BY:

Gordon Umino, President and Delegate
Cyndi Kallinen, Secretary
AFSCME Local 843, Council 28
Washington

ADOPTED BY IEB