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Religious freedom panel says Bush should skip games or visit Tibet: Commission on International Religious Freedom

An independent federal body that monitors religious freedom is urging President Bush not to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing unless there are discernible changes in China’s policy toward Tibet.

The Washington-based Commission on International Religious Freedom said in an April 4 statement that if Bush decides to attend the games, he should first visit the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, or another Tibetan area “in an affirmation of the U.S. commitment to religious freedom for Tibetans, as well as for China’s other growing religious communities.”