In June, Tenzin Dorjee was unanimously elected as chair of the commission.
Tenzin Dorjee, a Tibetan Buddhist translator and scholar, was unanimously elected in June as the chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The independent, bipartisan commission reviews religious freedom violations around the world and makes policy recommendations to the US Congress.
“It is an honor and privilege to be unanimously elected Chair of the Commission,” Dorjee said. “Our Commissioners bring a diverse array of complementary experiences and skills to the table, and we all share a collective commitment to the promotion of religious freedom or belief for those of all faiths and none.”
Dorjee is an assistant professor at California State University in Fullerton. He has also served as translator for the Dalai Lama and has been a long-time supporter of Tibetan independence. He was appointed to the commission in 2016, and has since traveled to Myanmar and Iraq to monitor the condition of religious freedom. In September, Dorjee testified before the US Congress on religious freedom violations in Tibet and China.
“The challenges to religious freedom around the globe are growing on a daily basis, but so too is our resolve to confront these challenges. As the first Tibetan Buddhist elected Chair, I look forward to leading this Commission over the next year in an inclusive way as we provide policy recommendations to the White House, the Secretary of State, and Congress on addressing the global challenges to freedom of religion or belief.”
