U.S. lawmakers honor Dalai Lama with bipartisan resolution ahead of 90th birthday

[ad_1] Forward of the Dalai Lama’s ninetieth birthday on July 6, U.S. lawmakers have launched bipartisan resolutions in each chambers of the U.S. Congress to honor the Tibetan religious chief and designate the anniversary as ‘A Day of Compassion.’

The decision – launched within the U.S. Home of Representatives on Friday and within the Senate on Tuesday – reaffirms that solely the Dalai Lama himself ought to decide his successor and that any try by Beijing to pick out or appoint one could be an “invalid interference” and violation of non secular freedom rights.

China has sought higher management over Tibetan Buddhism since invading the impartial Himalayan nation in 1950 and forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in India in 1959. In 2007, Beijing introduced it might oversee the popularity of all reincarnate Tibetan lamas, together with the following Dalai Lama.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), who co-introduced the Senate decision with Todd Younger (R-Indiana), emphasised the broader stakes. “Because the Chinese language authorities continues to disregard the rights of Tibet underneath worldwide legislation, we’re sending the message that we should shield these basic freedoms,” Merkley stated.

Within the Home, Representatives Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Jim McGovern (D-Massachusetts) launched an identical decision recognizing the Dalai Lama’s “excellent contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and non secular understanding.”

“Regardless of having confronted persecution, oppression, and unspeakable violence by the hands of the CCP, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has maintained interior peace and continues to evangelise compassion – inspiring not solely his personal folks, however your entire world,” stated McCaul. CCP refers back to the Chinese language Communist Social gathering.

McCaul final yr led a bipartisan Congressional delegation to Dharamsala, India, the place he offered the Dalai Lama with a framed copy of a U.S. invoice, that was later signed into legislation, in assist of Tibetan folks’s proper to self-determination.

“The folks of Tibet have an inalienable proper to self-determination, and our decision reaffirms the US’ dedication to Tibetans by supporting their fundamental human rights, spiritual freedom, tradition, and language,” stated Merkley.

<img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="The Dalai Lama attends a Long Life Prayer Offering to him by the Tibetan community at the Main Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, India, June 4, 2025." class="c-image" loading="lazy" src="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=800&height=533" srcset="https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=274&height=182 274w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=768&height=511 768w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=1024&height=682 1024w, https://www.rfa.org/resizer/v2/FMW6KCDRHRCJBCWMPG2QDNOEPQ.jpg?auth=166157a8fde8cc1140278d22af16950a6d4620b5cdcc3bb3d4b58048c4693241&width=1440&height=959 1440w" width="800" height="533"/> tibet-us-dalai-lama The Dalai Lama attends a Lengthy Life Prayer Providing to him by the Tibetan neighborhood on the Predominant Tibetan Temple in Dharamsala, India, June 4, 2025. (Tenzin Woser/RFA Tibetan) In recent times, China has sought to manage the reincarnation technique of Tibetan spiritual leaders in an obvious try to appoint the Dalai Lama’s successor.

However in his new guide titled “Voice for the Unvoiced,” the Dalai Lama has stated that his successor could be born within the “free world,” which he described as outdoors China.

“The brand new Dalai Lama can be born within the free world in order that the standard mission of the Dalai Lama – that's, to be the voice for common compassion, the religious chief of Tibetan Buddhism, and the image of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan folks – will proceed,” the Dalai Lama stated within the guide.

The most recent decision reiterates that the choice and set up of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leaders are inside the authority of the Tibetan Buddhist neighborhood.

“I’m proud to face with the Dalai Lama and the folks of Tibet of their wrestle for freedom and peace towards the Chinese language Communist Social gathering’s continued aggression. The CCP’s established order – each in Tibet and elsewhere – will not be acceptable,” stated Younger.

The decision is co-sponsored by a gaggle of bipartisan lawmakers together with Reps. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Sick.), and Younger Kim (R-Calif.), and Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Curtis (R-UT), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK).