House Proceeding 03-11-09 on Mar 11th, 2009 :: 1:35:35 to 1:46:05
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1:35:32 to 1:35:52( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: in beijing that suppresses them should have no doubts about that as well. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: well, mr. speaker, it's my privilege to now recognize really the leader in this institution on human rights, generally, and most particularly on the issue of

1:35:35 to 1:46:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Nancy Pelosi

1:35:53 to 1:36:14( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: what has happened to the tibetan people and to his holiness, the dalai lama, the speaker of the house, ms. pelosi. speaker of the house, the gentlewoman from california is recognized for one minute. the speaker: thank you very much, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. i thank him and congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen for

1:36:15 to 1:36:35( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: bringing this important resolution to the floor. not only in congresswoman ros-lehtinen's situation as the ranking member but as co-sponsor of the legislation. thank you, mr. berman, for carrying on a proud tradition of mr. lantos as ranking member on foreign affairs and then as chairman. he also served, as you know, as

1:36:36 to 1:36:56( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: chair of the human rights task -- the human rights task force -- caucus in the congress of the united states. it's with great sadness, mr. speaker, that i rise in support of this resoluion. i so had wished decades ago that we wouldn't be standing here now still pleading the

1:36:57 to 1:37:17( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: case for the people of tibet. i thanrush holt for giving us this opportunity, again, with congresswoman ros-lehtinen sponsoring this legislation. howard berman, as i mentioned, the chairman. frank wolf and jim mcgovern, the co-chairs of the human rights caucus in the congress, carrying on a strong tradition. jim mcgovern carrying on that

1:37:18 to 1:37:40( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: tradition. mr. rohrabacher mentioned, and i see mr. smith there, we've been fighting this fight for a very long time. little did we think, colleagues, go back a generation when the dalai lama first came to the congress in 1987 -- not first came but first came with his proposal for autonomy, would we have

1:37:41 to 1:38:02( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: ever thought then that over 20 years later we would still be making this case? never after tenmen square. they said peaceful coexistens, peaceful engagement. this is going to lead to more of -- the improvement in human

1:38:03 to 1:38:25( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: rights in china and tibet. a generation has gone by. 20 years later. and what do we have? a more repressive situation in tibet. a situation so bad that moved his holiness in the statement he released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary to say that life for the tibetans on

1:38:26 to 1:38:46( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: the repression of the chinese regime is hell on earth. his holiness used those terms, man of nonviolence and gentle nature, would be moved to use those words. so i tha all who are responsible for bringing this resolution to the floor. because as we know this week

1:38:47 to 1:39:07( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: marks the 50th, five decades of waiting for this peaceful evolution to take place, this peaceful evolution that was going to lead to more democratic freoms. and this was against a peaceful uprising against the chinese government and then led to the exiling of his holiness out of

1:39:08 to 1:39:28( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: tibet. with this resolution, we remember that day and honor the many brave tibetans who sacrificed their lives for freedom, thousands of them did. with this resolution we recognize the hospitality of india for reiving the tibetans into that great

1:39:29 to 1:39:50( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: nation. his holiness and the nation of india share a tradition of nonviolence and compassion and with salute india for extending that to the people of tibet as they escaped. for the last year, tibet has

1:39:51 to 1:40:11( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: been under marsh law and the human rights situation has worsened according to the state department report. there's been no progress in the discussions with the chinese government. it is long past time, 50 years, for beijing to respect the human rights of every tibetan, indeed of every chinese. the united states congress

1:40:12 to 1:40:34( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: continues to be a bedrock of support for the tibetan people, and we do so in a strong bipartisan way. . in 1987 his holiness spoke at the capitol at the congressional heights human caucus. i was a grand new member and invited there by congressman lantos. it was there he outlined his

1:40:35 to 1:40:55( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: approach for autonomy for bye ty bet. on capitol hill, over 20 years ago, his holiness declared a statement of autonomy for tibet. 20 years later we were all proud to stand with president bush as he presented the congressional gold medal to his holiness, the

1:40:56 to 1:41:16( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: dalai lama, in the words of the president, for his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and religious understanding. last year as mr. holt mentioned, we had a congressional delegation that visited india where we were able to meet with

1:41:17 to 1:41:37( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: his holiness. this visit either by coincidence or karma took place only a matter of weeks after the protest that swept across the tibetan plateau and the crackdowny the chinese authorities. so when we were in india and right seeing all of these people

1:41:38 to 1:41:58( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: who are escaping from tibet and prisoners who had been tortured in prisons in tibet telling us their stories, they were stories that were fresh and current and tragic, and we were hopeless and helpless in how we could help

1:41:59 to 1:42:20( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: them in a very real way. but -- what we can do is put the moral authority of the congre of united states in the form of this resolution, with the broad bipartisan vote down as a marker to say that we understand the situation there.

1:42:21 to 1:42:41( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: that we encourage it to be different. and as mr. rohrabacher said, that we are on the side of the tibetan people. but it shouldn't be a question of taking sides. it should be a question of resolution -- resolving a difference. that what we hope that the chinese government will do. just on a lighter note, when we

1:42:42 to 1:43:02( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: were there in addition to visiting the prisoners and the -- tse who had escaped over the mountains only a matter of days before, we visited the children in their schools. they were adorable. they had made flags that were tibetan flags on one side, american flags on the other. they had flags of the country of

1:43:03 to 1:43:26( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: india. the children were so appreciative of the hospitality of india, so grateful to the american people for speaking out on behalf of them, and so proud of thirty betian heritage. they are beautiful. the preservation of the culture of tibet is of course a very

1:43:27 to 1:43:48( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: important part of our enthusiasm for change. but on the light, on the lighter side as we were traveling through the streets our delegation, our bipartisan delegation, mr. sensenbrenner is the most senior republican who came on the trip and was very powerful in his statements there, but as we were traveling through the streets, the streets

1:43:49 to 1:44:11( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: were lined, i should call them ads, the roads were lined with people. and they were waving flags, american, tibetan, indian flags along the way. and one sign caught my eye. it said, thank you for everything that you have done for us. so far.

1:44:12 to 1:44:32( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: so far. in any event, more is expected. more will come. i told you about his holiness' speech and how he -- statement he put out and how he called the situation there the tibetans who are in the depths of suffering and hardship, that they are

1:44:33 to 1:44:53( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: literally experiencing hell on earth. mr. speaker, without objection i'd like to submit his holiness' statement for the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the speaker: i'd also like to quote from the statement put out by the state department last nigh in part it says, we urge china to reconsider its policies in

1:44:54 to 1:45:14( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: tibet that have created tensions due to the harmful impact of tibetan -- harmful impact t tibetan religion, culture, and livelihoods. we believe that substantive dialogue with the dalai lama's representatives, consistent with the dal lei lama's commitment to disclaiming any mention of sovereignty or independence for

1:45:15 to 1:45:36( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: tibet, can lead to progress in bringing about solutions and help achieve true and lasting stability in tibet. i'm very pleased with the statement from thetate department. mr. speaker, the situation in tibet challenges the conscience of the world. of the world.

1:45:37 to 1:45:57( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: if freedom-loving people around the world do not speak out for human rights in china and tibet, then we lose moral authority to talk about it any other place in the world. on the 50th anniversary of the dalai lama being forced into exile, we must heed his guidance

1:45:58 to 1:46:05( Edit History Discussion )

Nancy Pelosi: and his message of peace. and we must never forget the people of tibet and their ongoing struggle. that is why i urge my colleagues