James A. Leach: “I would like to express my great appreciation for the distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr.…”

“I would like to express my great appreciation for the distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), for his long interest in this issue and congratulate the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Rothman) for sponsoring this thoughtful and timely resolution welcoming his Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and recognizing his commitment to nonviolence, human rights, freedom, and democracy. As my colleagues may be aware, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader in exile, is in the United States for a 3-week lecture and teaching tour. While he is in Washington, his Holiness is expected to meet with President Bush and other senior administration officials to update them on the status of contacts between his envoys and representatives of the People's Republic of China. The United States is encouraged that China invited the Dalai Lama's envoys to visit the Beijing and Tibetan regions in the fall of 2002 and again in the spring of 2003. Despite these encouraging signs of progress, however, severe human rights abuses and tight controls on fundamental freedoms persist in Tibet.”