Sam Brownback, US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom speaking at the press conference to announce the Formation of The Coalition to Advance Religious Freedom in China (CARFC)
Photo: The Epoch Times
Representatives of persecuted religious groups in China launched the first ever the Coalition to Advance Religious Freedom in China (CARFC) on March 5, 2019 at the Congressional Auditorium in the Capitol Visitor Centre in Washington in the United States.
According to Radio Free Asia’s (RFA) Tibetan service, Sam Brownback, the United States ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom spoke and applauded the coalition during their launch saying that, as previously requested, the United States calls on China to have a dialogue with Tibet’s leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He said that there is support for this call from the United States. He spoke of the Chinese government’s intervention regarding the 11th Panchen Lama: they abducted the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama, Gedun Choekyi Nyima, who had been recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and appointed a substitute of their choosing. Brownback stressed that the right to choose the reincarnation of Lamas or tulkus is in the hands of Tibetans alone. He further called on the Chinese government to allow His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit China.
Speaking to the RFA Tibetan service, he was reassuring about support from the US, saying that the US has been a long supporter of the Tibetan cause and will continue to support and advocate for the issue of Tibet.
Brownback applauded the formation of the coalition and said,“I am here to add the administration’s support.”
Jim McGovern, co-chairman of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (left) and Sam Brownback, U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom (right)
Photo: RFA
Also present during the launch of the coalition was Jim McGovern, the recently appointed chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and co-chairman of the bipartisan Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, who was there to show his support for the formation of the coalition to defend religious freedom in China.
McGovern mentioned the importance of appointing a new Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues to replace Sarah Sewall who was the Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues until January 2017; the Trump Administration is yet to appoint her replacement.
RFA’s article went on to say that McGovern also spoke of the need to find the whereabouts of Gendun Choekyi Nyima, the 11th Panchen Lama and went on to say that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the most compassionate person in this world, making China’s fear of meeting him unnecessary. He said that the Chinese government should allow His Holiness to visit Tibet.
The Coalition to Advance Religious Freedomin China is based in the United States and is composed of various human rights and religious organisations representing the voices of Uygur muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants and Falun Gong practitioners. “We demand that China abide by its own constitution – as well as its international legal obligations – and respect the rights of all its citizens,” said CARFC coordinator Greg Mitchell.
According to South China Morning Post, the coalition’s first step towards their goal is a direct appeal to members of the Trump administration calling for sanctions against Beijing officials.
“We hear the Trump administration talk about reciprocity in terms of trade. We should see that reciprocity is also applied in terms of other aspects of US-China relations, whether it’s human rights, religious freedoms … Everywhere, reciprocity should be scrutinized,” said Bhuchung Tsering, vice-president of the International Campaign for Tibet, quoted as reports by South China Morning Post.
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