Following the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that imposed sanctions on the Chinese government in response to its human rights crackdown. The legislation, commonly referred to as the “Tiananmen Sanctions” (P.L. 101-246) required Chinese authorities to meet a variety of conditions, including human rights improvements in Tibet.
This paper analyzes the current human rights situation in Tibet in relation to the requirements in the sanctions law. Findings indicate that the situation has not improved, and Tibetans are worse off today than in 1989.