Dalai Lama’s appeasement caution

The European Parliament has welcomed the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan spiritual leader’s trip to Europe this week is set to include a meeting with the head of the EU’s current rotating presidency. The guest spoke about self-determination for his homeland, under Chinese rule since an invasion in 1950.

Continue being frank with Beijing, he urged the MEPs: “We are not against China or the Chinese government. Actually, you are helping. Then obviously the totalitarian regimes… there are many drawbacks there. So, it is naturally very important to keep close relations with China. At the same time, those drawbacks, those mistakes should (be made) clear.”

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, representing the EU, is to meet the Nobel peace laureate this Saturday in Gdansk, one of Adolf Hitler’s early targets. The Tibetan drew the parallel, urging Europe not to appease China.

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tags: Dalai Lama, Tibet