Tibetan-Americans and Tibet supporters gather in Washington, DC for Tibet Lobby Day

Over one hundred Tibetan-Americans and Tibet supporters from all over the United States are gathering in Washington, D.C., to urge their elected representatives in the government to increase their support for Tibet and the Tibetan people. The 10th annual Tibet Lobby Day will take place from March 4 to 6, 2018.

They will ask Members of Congress to pass legislation that support the aspirations of the Tibetan people, most notably the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2017. They will also urge Congress to continue funding Tibet programs, advocate for the release of Tibetan political prisoners, promote access to Tibetan areas for journalists, citizens, and US officials, and to hold Chinese leaders accountable for their human rights violations in Tibet.

March 2018 also marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the International Campaign for Tibet and there will be a program, including the screening of a special video message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, on Capitol Hill in the afternoon of March 6, 2018 to commemorate it.

In 2002 the US Congress passed the Tibetan Policy Act (TPA), a core legislative measure that guides U.S. policy on Tibet. The TPA’s objective is to support the aspirations of the Tibetan people to safeguard their distinct identity. It establishes in statute the State Department position of Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, which aims to promote substantive dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama, or his representatives. The Special Coordinator is also required, among other duties, to coordinate United States Government policies, programs, and projects concerning Tibet, vigorously promote the policy of seeking to protect the distinct religious, cultural, linguistic, and national identity of Tibet, and press for improved respect for human rights.

The International Campaign for Tibet coordinates Tibet Lobby Day in Washington in cooperation with US based Tibet groups, Students for a Free Tibet and Tibetan Associations in the US, including the Capital Area Tibetan Association.

In London, a Tibet Lobby Day 2018 is taking place on March 7, 2018, with Tibetans and Tibet supporters meeting their MPs to talk to them about Tibet and push for action, and is being jointly organized by Tibet Society, Free Tibet, Students for a Free Tibet, and Tibetan Community UK.