Bill in US Congress to recognize Tibet as independent country

WASHINGTON: Ramping up pressure in China, US lawmaker Scott Perry has introduced a bill in Congress that would “authorize the President to recognize the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China as a separate, independent country.”
Perry, a military veteran and a Republican from Pennsylvania, has introduced a similar bill for Hong Kong.
Both bills have been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. Both major political parties are accusing each other of being soft on China.
The bills will have to pass the House and the Senate before it goes to the President to be signed into law to be meaningful - and even if it does there is little the US can do to force the issue. But such is the strain in US-China ties that the move sent a frisson of excitement though the diplomatic community with Tibetans in exile taking enthusiastic note of it.
"Good move! It will happen sooner or later. Please @scottperry consider whole #Tibet, not only ART but including Kham and Amdo, a separate Independent Country for your Bill," one Tibetan activist tweeted the Congressman, adding, "There would be no better sanction for #China to recognise #Tibet and #EastTurkestan as separate and Independent Countries.
The move also galvanized Uygurs, some of whom urged US lawmakers to bat for them too.
While House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, has had long and deep ties with Tibetans going back decades. Tibet as a political issue has largely been forgotten in Washington, sacrificed at the altar of economic expediency. While the Dalai Lama remains a much loved and revered figure in the US, this is the first time in many years that any political figure has pushed for political independence for the region.