In a historical move, US senate passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act 2020 (TPSA) which states that decisions regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama are exclusively within the authority of the current Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people. Any interference by Chinese government officials will be met with serious sanctions and be deemed inadmissible into the United States.
“By passing the TPSA, Congress has sent its message loud and clear that Tibet remains a priority for the United States and that it will continue its steadfast support for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the CTA,” says President Dr Lobsang Sangay. “It is a momentous landmark for the Tibetan people,” he added. TPSA formally acknowledges the CTA as the legitimate institution reflecting the aspirations of the Tibetan Diaspora around the world and the Sangay as the President of the CTA.
The act also has provisions regarding the protection of environment in Tibet. It also calls for global cooperation in the protection of Tibetan environment. Certain amounts of funds are also allocated to the Tibetan Diaspora all over the world. TPSA is a setback to China, since it goes against ‘One China Policy’ adopted by the CCP. It indirectly supports Tibetan claim of a separate nation outside the framework of China.
“I would like to especially thank House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for their steadfast support in making this historic bill come true. I also thank Senators James E. Risch and Robert Menendez, the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and Representatives Eliot L. Engel and Michael McCaul, the Chair and Co-Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, respectively,” said President Sangay.
The TPSA will now be presented to President Trump to sign it into law.
