3rd WPCT, 23-24 April, 1997, Washington, D.C.
I would like to welcome everyone of you. I would like to express our gratitude to support given by the parliamentarians to the Tibetan people. In the United States, the Congress has, under the effective leadership of parliamentarians like Congressman Benjamin Gilman, been demonstrating good support to the Tibetan cause.
I normally say that the United States has two policies on Tibet. While the Congress recognizes Tibet's sovereignty and considers it as an illegally occupied nation, the Administration holds Tibet to be a part of China.
However, the years the parliamentarians throughout the world have greatly contributed in keeping the Tibetan issue from dying. I am particularly glad to recognise The Honorable George Fernandes, Member of Parliament from India, with whom I had the pleasure of cooperating in starting the very first parliamentary group. I would also like to specially welcome Hon. Ela Gandhi, a Member of Parliament from South Africa, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, as well as the delegates from South America.
The development in Geneva during the Human Rights Commission session in March-April, 1997, when China was able to force a division in the European Union leading to the non-passing of a resolution condemning China's human rights practices in China and Tibet indicates that we have a great challenge ahead. This experience reveals the need for a multilateral strategy on China. I would like to applaud the courage of the government of Denmark in sponsoring the China resolution at the Commisssion.
