|
President Bush to meet His Holiness despite China's criticism
Bush will meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his White House residence rather than the office, apparently to avoid the full wrath of China, in their third encounter since the US leader took office in January 2001, officials said. Bush will also attend a ceremony at the US Capitol on Wednesday, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama is to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, a top US civilian award. It will be the first time a sitting US president will appear in public with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whose arrival in Washington Monday was greeted by a crowd of Tibetans clad in traditional dress, honouring the spiritual icon with blessings, songs and dances. Beijing, which insists the 72-year-old religious figure is a dangerous separatist, has protested over the Congressional award. It said the award will "seriously interfere in China's internal affairs and damage China-US relations." Moving swiftly to show its displeasure, China sought postponement of a meeting - coincidentally also scheduled Wednesday - among top officials from the five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany in Berlin aimed at discussing the Iranian nuclear crisis, a US State Department official said. "I think (the Chinese) had indigestion... over the presence of certain spiritual leaders and an event in Congress," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It is extraneous to Iranian issues." Beijing "just decided that Wednesday is not the date to have that meeting" among diplomats from Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany, the official said. "For us, the Dalai Lama is a spiritual leader and that is how he is being treated here," added the official. The six powers were to have discussed calls to tighten UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. China and Russia have been against harsh Security Council sanctions on Iran, which has refused to abide by the council's orders to the Islamic republic to suspend uranium enrichment. Tehran insists its atomic drive is entirely peaceful and solely aimed at generating energy. Beijing's fury over His Holiness the Dalai Lama's US trip came barely a month after it strongly protested German Chancellor Angela Merkel's historic meeting with the spiritual leader in Berlin. China pulled out of a Germany-China symposium last month in Munich and axed an annual event scheduled for December in Beijing to discuss human rights. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner, also met Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer last month and Australian Prime Minister John Howard in June. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper this month. Bush has been asking the Chinese leaders to have a dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to resolve the longstanding issue but they have not budged. "We hope President Bush's meeting with the Dalai Lama will send a clear message to the Chinese government to reach out to the Dalai Lama, who is acknowledged as a great man of peace, rather than shutting him out," said Kate Saunders, spokeswoman for the International Campaign for Tibet. China has ruled Tibet since sending troops in to "liberate" the Himalayan region in 1950. Beijing considers the Dalai Lama a political exile bent on establishing an independent Tibet, an accusation he has repeatedly denied. He instead says he only wants greater autonomy and is waging a non-violent campaign for greater rights for his six million people. |
[ Homepage ] [ NewsRoom ]
This site is maintained and updated by The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London. This Web page may be linked to any other Web sites. Contents may not be altered.
Last updated: 16-Oct-2007