Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act introduced
Reps. George Miller and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) introduced the Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act (H.R. 6536) today to provide visas to displaced Tibetans. Miller and Sensenbrenner traveled to India together in March with a congressional delegation led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi where they met with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in Dharamsala.
One of the serious problems facing Tibetans is their ineligibility for refugee admission under U.S. law. Because they fled Tibet, U.S. law may consider the Tibetans “firmly resettled” in a third country and might render them inadmissible to the U.S. The Tibetan Refugee Assistance Act addresses this problem by providing 3,000 immigrant visas to qualified displaced Tibetans over a three year period.
“The plight of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan Buddhists is well-known,” said Sensenbrenner. “During the course of the trip in March, I had the opportunity to experience one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life - the privilege of meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, head of state and spiritual leader of Tibet. The meeting provided the delegation with the opportunity to have a frank and comprehensive discussion about the plight of the Tibetan people in their constant struggle for independence from the government of China. The meeting was particularly timely given the reports around that time of Chinese authorities cracking down on peaceful Tibetan protests in Llasa, Tibet. These protests were disrupted by police with baton charges, who arrested hundreds of people associated with these protests.
“With very few options available to them, Tibetan refugees keep migrating to Nepal at a rate of 2,500 each year, where reports indicate there are already 20,000 to 25,000 in residence,” Sensenbrenner continued. “The legislation Congressman Miller and I introduced today will provide relief not only to the Tibetans, but also to the people of Nepal, who could probably use some help after hosting tens of thousands of refugees over the years.”
Miller said he was pleased to be able to take bi-partisan legislative action on behalf of the Tibetan people.
“Our legislation represents one small but very significant step that the Congress can take to help the Tibetan people,” Miller said. “The Tibetans face severe persecution under the Chinese government and must be recognized by the United States for refugee assistance. I am honored to have the have the opportunity to work with Rep. Sensenbrenner and our other colleagues to address this particular problem and I look forward to working with the State Department as this bill moves forward.”
human rights
nationalsecurity
tibet
Posted by Peake, Amy at July 18, 08 03:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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