09 May 2008
US senators urge Bush to visit Tibet during Olympics
(AFP) Several US senators have asked President George W. Bush to visit Tibet when he travels to China for the Olympics to back Washington's push for human rights in the region. President Bush is going to the Olympics in August although it is not certain if he will attend the opening ceremony. Senior Democratic Senators Joseph Biden, John Kerry and Barbara Boxer and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe sent a letter to the White House, calling for his administration to take specific actions to help resolve the crisis in Tibet, including the requested visit. They also wanted him to press Beijing to open a US consulate in Tibet's capital Lhasa and expand access to the region for international humanitarian officials and journalists.