Washington, D.C. – Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) today condemned the Chinese Government for the unrestrained use of force in their crackdown on anti-government protesters in Tibet. "I am deeply disturbed by the reports and pictures of brutal violence against Tibetan citizens on the part of the Chinese Government," Congressman Ellison said. "The time is long overdue for the world to find its collective voice and let the Chinese know there will be consequences for their continued repression of Tibetans," Ellison stated.

According to reports made difficult to verify by Chinese suppression of the international press, the violence apparently was sparked by the 49th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day on March 10th. Over eighty deaths have been reported with widespread destruction of property and house to house searches by Chinese authorities.

"China's latest actions should not be a surprise to anyone who remembers their deadly suppression of student expression in Beijing's Tiananmen Square nearly twenty years ago. Then they sent tanks to quell the voices of freedom; now they have sent in their militia to brutally assault Buddhist monks and Tibetan youth," Ellison said.

The State Department's latest Human Rights Report, released this month, provided a chilling summary of life in Tibet: 'The government's human rights record in Tibetan areas of China remained poor, and the level of repression of religious freedom increased. Authorities continued to commit serious human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and house arrest and surveillance of dissidents. The government restricted freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of movement. The government adopted new regulations and other measures to control the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, including measures that require government approval to name all reincarnated lamas. The preservation and development of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic heritage of Tibetan areas and the protection of the Tibetan people's other fundamental human rights continued to be of concern.'

"No longer can America – as the beacon of freedom – look the other way in the name of 'good economic relations' as Chinese soldiers beat and gun down Tibetan citizens, or are silently complicit with the Sudanese government as they commit genocide on the citizens of Darfur," the Minnesota Congressman said. "I totally agree with Speaker Pelosi who met today in India with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, when she said, 'If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China's suppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world. The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world.' The Speaker's statement carries a moral clarity sorely lacking on the part of the Bush Administration," Ellison stated.

"If China wants to host the Olympics this summer, an event that embodies the promise of the youth of the world, then China must begin to exhibit the moral leadership that goes with such an honor. That starts with Tibet – today. If China does not demonstrate the moral leadership required, we should utilize every economic and moral tool at the world's disposal to reprimand China accordingly," Ellison concluded.