Barack Obama cancels meeting with Dalai Lama ‘to keep China happy’
President Barack Obama has refused to meet the Dalai Lama in Washington this week in a move to curry favour with the Chinese.
Telegraph.co.uk
The decision came after China stepped up a campaign urging nations to shun the Tibetan spiritual leader.
It means Mr Obama will become the first president not to welcome the Nobel peace prize winner to the White House since the Dalai Lama began visiting Washington in 1991.
The Buddhist monk arrived in Washington on Monday for a week of meetings with Congressional leaders, celebrity supporters and interest groups, but the president will not see him until after he has made his first visit to China next month.
Samdhong Rinpoche, the Tibetan prime minister-in-exile, has accused the United States and other Western nations of “appeasement” toward China as its economic weight grows.
“Today, economic interests are much greater than other interests,” he said.
Mr Obama’s decision dismayed human rights and Tibetan support groups, who said he had made an unnecessary concession to the Chinese, who regard the Dalai Lama as a “splittist”, despite his calls for autonomy rather than independence for Tibet. The Chinese invaded in 1950, forcing the young leader to flee.
Sophie Richardson, Asia advocate for Human Rights Watch, said: “Presidents always meets the Dalai Lama and what happens? Absolutely nothing.
“This idea that if you are nice to the Chinese Communist Party up front you can cash in later is just wrong. If you lower the bar on human rights they will just move it lower and lower.”
But they were told by US officials they wanted to work with China on critical issues, including nuclear weapons proliferation in North Korea and Iran, according to The Washington Post. Mr Obama then sent a delegation to the Dalai Lama’s home in exile in India last month that confirmed the meeting would be deferred.
Mr Obama has changed his position on Tibet since his election campaign.
Frank Wolf, a Republican congressman and outspoken critic of China’s human rights record, said: “What would a Buddhist monk or Buddhist nun in Drapchi prison think when he heard that President Obama, the president of the United States, is not going to meet with the Dalai Lama?
“It’s against the law to even have a picture of the Dalai Lama. I can almost hear the words of the Chinese guards saying to them that nobody cares about you in the United States.”
Wild Thing’s comment……
The decision came after China stepped up a campaign urging nations to shun the Tibetan spiritual leader.
China is getting more powerful each day.
Those in Taiwan have got to be very concerned.
….Thank you Mark for sending this to me.
Mark
3rd Mar.Div. 1st Battalion 9th Marine Regiment
1/9 Marines aka The Walking Dead
VN 66-67
This is the first time in history, that I know of, where an American President followed the dictates of China.
This is one of his wonderfully stupid blunders! China, along with Saudi Arabia and a few other countries have a plot to stop using American money to buy oil. This is working against us. The Dali Lama is one neat, compassionate guy. He is the religious leader of the Buddhists in Tibet and since China can’t have Tibet, they’ve got their “nickers in a bunch.” Obviously this shows favoritism by Obama for China to try and appease them, but it continues to work in the wrong way.
He should have met with the Dali Lama. I have always wanted to meet him, even though I am not a Buddhist. He’s a fascinating person and probably could tell some wonderful stories. He’s also very personable and approachable.
It’s just one commie(obama) being considerate of another commie(China). Everything about obama is anti-American. This snubbing of the Dalai Lama is just a routine act for the racist and communist obama.
Hey Team Teddy Bears – This picture reminded me of when THE FAB FOUR went to India to transcedentally meditate with Majarishi Yogi in 1969 when John Lennon wrote REVOLUTION 1 from The White Album!
YOU SAY YOU WANT A REVOLUTION? ALL RIGHT!
Thank you so much.