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De Dalai Lama bevestigt steun voor de Olympische Spelen
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Terwijl Tibet's leider Frankrijk bezoekt laat President Sarkozy het afweten
 De Dalai Lama is in Frankrijk voor een bezoek van 10 dagen. Op 6 augustus verklaarde een woordvoerder van President Nicolas Sarkozy dat Frankrijk’s president de Dalai Lama niet persoonlijk zou ontmoeten. De verklaring kwam twee dagen voordat Sarkozy afreisde naar Beijing voor de openingsceremonie van de Olympische Spelen, en ondanks zijn eerdere uitgesproken steun voor de dialoog tussen de afgezanten van de Dalai Lama en de Chinese leiders. (zie ICT’s persbericht hier).
In de afgelopen dagen heeft de Dalai Lama tijdens zijn bezoek in Frankrijk duidelijk onderstreept dat hij de Olympische Spelen ondersteunt. Tegelijkertijd benadrukte Tibet’s spiritueel en wereldlijk leider dat de repressie in Tibet ondanks de Spelen onverminderd doorgaat. Ook heeft de Dalai Lama verklaard dat de internationale gemeenschap een verantwoordelijkheid heeft om China actief te betrekken in de werelddemocratie.
Zie hieronder een selectie van berichten in de internationale pers over het bezoek van de Dalai Lama aan Frankrijk.
14 augustus
Dalai Lama says Tibet crackdown goes on despite Olympics: lawmakers
Agence France-Presse
"The Dalai Lama accused China of pursuing a crackdown in Tibet in spite of the Olympic Games, French lawmakers said. Asked during a private meeting at the Paris Senate whether China was respecting the 'Olympic truce', the Dalai Lama's 'answer was very clear: no,' said former French justice minister Robert Badinter. 'While the Games are taking place, the oppression of the Tibetan people and repression continue,' said the opposition lawmaker. The Dalai Lama described 'arbitrary arrests, summary executions and torture to the death' and a 'very strong reinforcement of the military and police presence across historic Tibet,' said a statement issued later by the Senate. He also claimed China was planning, after the end of the Beijing Olympics, to send a million mainland Chinese nationals to settle in Tibet, it said. The Dalai Lama's 90-minute meeting with 40 French lawmakers was the main political encounter of his French trip."
(Reuters report: http://tinyurl.com/64s3mn)
Dalai Lama says world should be firm with China
Associated Press
[Similar to AFP. Additional quotes:] "At a news conference, the Dalai Lama said the international community 'should be firm' with China on the issues of democracy, human rights, religious freedom and the rule of law. 'But we should not isolate China' and instead bring it into the international community with 'genuine friendship,' he said. 'After the Olympics, what will happen?' he asked. 'I don't know. Wait and see.'"
After the Games, Tibet
New York Times
Opinion by Nicholas D Kristof, who says, "the Olympics could end up being the second-most-significant event in China this year. The Chinese leadership and the Tibetan government in exile have delicately discussed a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to China, nominally to commemorate the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan Province in May." Kristof says, "The opportunity arises in part because of the Dalai Lama's public acknowledgement last week for the first time that he could accept Communist Party rule for Tibet... The big question now is whether China will respond with its own olive branch."
13 augustus
In France, Dalai Lama reaffirms Olympic support
Associated Press
"The Dalai Lama sent China a message of good will for the Olympics and skirted the contentious issue of Tibet at the start of his 12-day visit to France on Tuesday. 'I fully support the Olympics in China... The People's Republic of China deserves to play host to the Games,' he said in answer to a reporter's question. At a talk on peace and nonviolence he did not openly link those issues to Tibet and China, and he made no mention of Tibet's status. 'Whenever we face conflict, we have to use dialogue,' he said."
Dalai Lama Calls for Global Effort on China Democracy
Deutsche Welle
"The Dalai Lama, said during a visit to France, 'China is very keen to join the world community. The world community has more responsibility to bring China into (the) mainstream of world democracy,' the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Paris. He added that the world 'must not isolate China'."
(France24 report: http://tinyurl.com/6xfvg2)
Dalai Lama to meet French lawmakers
Agence France-Presse
The Dalai Lama was to hold closed-door talks with French lawmakers on Wednesday, the only political meeting in a 12-day trip to France. Ruling party deputy Lionnel Luca says lawmakers were pressured into hosting the Tibetan leader in their private offices, instead of the main Senate building. Luca said it was "shameful" the Dalai Lama be denied a red carpet welcome.
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