The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) is pleased that President Obama reasserted, in front of President Hu Jintao, the long-standing policy of the United States on Tibet, which supports a resolution through dialogue and the preservation of the Tibetan identity. ICT is eager to continue its advocacy following the summit, providing information on the situation in Tibet and otherwise supporting the Obama Administration in its efforts to move China towards real human rights reforms and, in particular, to the next round of dialogue on Tibet. The Dalai Lama’s envoys maintain that they are ready to talk and waiting for a positive indication from the Chinese.

Lodi Gyari, Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, reacted to President Obama’s fulsome statement on Tibet with “deep gratitude.”

“The US-China summit has been a positive development for human rights and Tibet. President Obama’s direct defense of the universality of human rights, and President Hu’s admission that “a lot still needs to be done in China, in terms of human rights” demonstrate that human rights can be and indeed is an essential component in the U.S.-China relationship. We are looking forward to positive results from this exchange,” said Mary Beth Markey, ICT President.

It was noteworthy that two of the four questions at the Joint Press Conference dealt with human rights issues, a reflection of how pervasive human rights concerns are among the American public.

The extraordinary outpouring of public support for Tibet was definitely heard in the White House, and ICT applauds all who came to Washington, D.C. to freely express their opinions and be a part of a dynamic exercise in democracy.

ICT believes that the strong human rights message coming out of this critical summit between the United States and China will reinforce the determination of other world leaders to raise Tibet and human rights issues, in both bilateral and multilateral forums, with China and other serious human rights violators.