Tibet has been a neighbor of China for 700 years. During most of that time it has acted as a de facto state, maintaining a separate culture and identity. These two countries peacefully coexisted for 650 years until Mao's army annexed and occupied Tibet in 1951. During the next 25 years, more than 1.2 million Tibetans were killed during the reforms of China's Cultural Revolution. The Dali Lama and the Tibetan government are currently in exile in India, along with some 10,000 Tibetans. Tibetans say the Chinese government has committed cultural genocide while attempting to assimilate Tibet under its “One China” policy. Several years ago, China constructed a railway system linking the rest of China with the frozen Tibetan plateau. Critics say this was done to strengthen its political control over Tibet and to marginalize native Tibetans by encouraging further Han migration from the rest of China. Since 2010, more than 160 Tibetans have chosen self-immolation as a way to protest against, and draw attention to, the abuses of Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama has long denied China's assertion that he's seeking Tibetan independence. He says Tibet wants only enough autonomy to protect its traditional Buddhist culture.

Pending Legislation: H.R.533 - Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act
Sponsor: Rep. James McGovern (MA)
Status: House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Chair: Rep. Michael McCaul (TX)

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