Tibetans should be able to freely practice their religion: US team

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will live a long time and his legacy will live forever, but you, the President, will be gone and nobody will give you credit for anything. The Dalai Lama would not approve my saying this... that I am criticising the Chinese government. He would say, 'Let's pray for Nancy to rid her of negative attitudes.' But I hope he will indulge me today in saying change is on the way. — Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Dharamsala/Shimla: The Tibetan people have the right to self-determination, US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said on Wednesday, asserting they have a unique culture and religion, and they should be able to freely practice their religion.

McCaul, who is leading the US Congressional delegation that met the Tibetan spiritual head the Dalai Lama at Dharamsala, said that is why we are here today in defiance of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Speaking at a facilitation function organised by the Dharamsala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), he said even after violence and forceful removal from his home by the CCP, the Dalai Lama continues to preach tolerance, peace and forgiveness.

McCaul asserted that people are free in a democracy while they are enslaved in tyranny. "The Tibetan people possess a distinct religion, culture and historic identity and they should have a say in their own future. You should be able to freely practice your religion and that is why we are here today in defiance of CCP warning," McCaul said. "Our delegation received a letter from the CCP warning us not to come here, they repeated their false claim that Tibet is part of China since the 13th century but we did not let the CCP intimidate us and we are here today," he said, adding the Dalai Lama, people of Tibet and United States of America know that Tibet is not a part of China. McCaul said the timing of this visit cannot be better as last week the House of Representatives and the Congress passed Resolve Tibet Bill, which makes it clear that Tibet has its own unique culture, language and religion, and has the right to self-determination.

This bill, which will be signed in the coming days, also requires to aggressively challenge the CCP propaganda about Tibet, he added.

The delegation consisting of former US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congress members Mariannette Miller, Gregory Meeks, Nicole Malliotakis, Jim McGovern and Ami Bera led by McCaul, called on the Dalai Lama ahead of the function and held discussions.