Maria Otero announced as Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues

The International Campaign for Tibet welcomes the appointment of Under Secretary Maria Otero as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, announced on October 1, 2009, by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Learn more >>

Question for the Record Submitted to Under Secretary - Designate Maria Otero by Senator Richard Lugar

Senate Foreign Relations Committee
June 25, 2009

The following statement on Tibet was submitted by Maria Otero, nominee to be Undersecretary Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs, to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in response to a question from Senator Richard Lugar.

Question:
On Tibet policy, President Obama and Secretary Clinton have expressed their desire for dialogue between the envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government toward a solution on the Tibet issue. In his confirmation hearing, Assistant Secretary for East Asia-designate Kurt Campbell expressed a desire for “meaningful results” in the dialogue. How can the U.S. government help the Tibetans and Chinese achieve some forward movement towards a solution?

Answer:
The Administration is disappointed by the lack of progress during eight rounds of talks between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama’s representatives. The United States is also very concerned about the increased repression in Tibetan areas since March 2008. We raise our concerns about these issues at the highest levels with the Chinese Government and press for progress.

The Administration sees the talks between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama’s representatives as essential for resolving longstanding tensions in Tibetan areas of China and for safeguarding the distinct ethnic, cultural, and religious identity of the Tibetan people. We will sustain our focus on promoting substantive dialogue, directed at achieving meaningful results.

The Administration will not shy away from seeking opportunities to candidly raise with China’s leaders our concerns about the dialogue as well as the poor human rights situation in Tibet. We will also continue to press for unhindered access to Tibetan areas by domestic and foreign journalists and diplomats, and for accountability regarding Chinese government actions taken during the unrest last year.

President Obama and Secretary Clinton have discussed Tibet issues with China’s most senior officials. Likewise, U.S. officials will also encourage the Tibetans to pursue dialogue with the Chinese and to identify areas where substantive improvements to the lives of Tibetans can be achieved. Secretary Clinton and Yang Jiechi agreed that we will hold a round of our bilateral Human Rights Dialogue this year - this will give us an additional opportunity to discuss our concerns about the situation for Tibetans in China. Additionally, we will continue to urge the Chinese government to engage in substantive dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama as this holds out the best hope for progress in addressing the legitimate, longstanding concerns of Tibetans, which have been a key factor in recent unrest.