Ed Royce: “Tibet has been under Beijing rule since 1949, when it was invaded and at that time incorporated into China. In 1959, the…”

“Tibet has been under Beijing rule since 1949, when it was invaded and at that time incorporated into China. In 1959, the Dalai Lama fled in exile to India, and he fled with tens of thousands of his followers. The Dalai Lama has shed daylight over the years on many human rights violations. More than 1 million Tibetans have died under the Chinese occupation as a result of torture and as a result of starvation and as a result of execution. No nation is exempt from the demands of human dignity. I should note that this House has a notable record when it comes to Tibet. The cochairmen of the Human Rights Caucus, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), have been instrumental in this effort. Last year, the Dalai Lama gave the keynote address to the Human Rights Caucus to recognize the 20th anniversary of our Human Rights Caucus here. The People's Republic of China has yet to demonstrate its willingness to abide by internationally accepted norms of freedom in terms of freedom of belief, or freedom of expression, or freedom of association. China is still holding hundreds of political prisoners of conscience for peaceful protests against the Chinese occupation.”