Sen. Cruz Introduces Resolution Honoring the 65th Anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising and Condemning the CCP’s Human Rights Record

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a resolution today recognizing the 65th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising, throughout March 1959. The resolution honors the struggle of the Tibetan people and the Dalai Lama for religious freedom and human rights. The resolution also condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) humans rights record and emphasizes the rights of Tibetans to national identity, culture, and religion.

Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “The Chinese Communist Party has persecuted Tibetans and denied them of their religious liberty for decades. I am proud to lead this resolution honoring the Tibetan people’s fight for religious freedom and the Dalai Lama’s contributions. The United States must not forget the CCP’s deplorable human rights abuses that have stripped the Tibetan people of their rights and freedoms.”

Read the full text of the resolution here.

BACKGROUND

On March 10, 1959, protests broke out in Lhasa, Tibet. Tibetans believed local People’s Republic of China (PRC) military authorities planned to abduct the Dalai Lama. On March 17, 1959, Dalai Lama, fled Tibet to India.

Now 88 years old, the Dalai Lama lives in exile in Dharamsala, India. He advocates for the rights of Tibetans through the peaceful actions. The CCP has refused to work with him or address the issues he raises.

Despite more than six decades of non-violent advocacy for the religious and cultural rights of Tibetans, the CCP has continued to undermine the Dalai Lama and deepening its repression of the Tibetan people.

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