the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA) was passed by the United States Senate on December 22, with bipartisan support. The TPSA makes it official United States policy that decisions regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama are exclusively within the authority of the current Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people. Any interference by Chinese government officials will be met with serious sanctions and deemed inadmissible into the United States. The TPSA also commends His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his decision to implement democratic governance and also commends the Tibetan exile community for successfully adopting a system of self-governance with democratic institutions to choose their leaders. In addition, it formally acknowledges the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as the legitimate institution reflecting the aspirations of the Tibetan diaspora around the world and the Sikyong as the President of the CTA.

(Comment: The TPSA builds on the historic Tibet Policy Act of 2002, and addresses every aspect of the Tibetan people’s fundamental right, including human rights, environmental rights, religious freedom, and Tibetan democracy-in-exile. It also strengthens funding for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. The Act increases pressure on the Tibet issue on the Chinese authorities.)