Lois Capps: “my amendment directs USIA, whenever feasible, whenever practical, to include individuals that are active in preserving…”

“my amendment directs USIA, whenever feasible, whenever practical, to include individuals that are active in preserving the culture, religion and language of Tibet in the existing Tibetan Education and Cultural Exchange Program authorized in this bill. Mr. Chairman, as we know, the Tibetan people have suffered tremendously under a succession of regimes, present regimes in Beijing. Beijing has singlemindedly implemented policies that have plundered and decimated spiritual life, the cultural life, the religious life, and specifically the monastic life, the life of the monks of the people of that country, and forced change in the day-to-day cultural traditions of the Tibetan people. In the last 2 years, regrettably, this repression has increased. The current Chinese policy toward Tibet may well end in relegating Tibetan culture and language to the history books unless we make conscious efforts to support the preservation of this culture.”