Wednesday 21 May 2008

What's wrong with meeting the Dalai Lama at No.10?

What is behind Gordon Brown's decision not to meet the Dalai Lama in Downing Street,instead prefering Lambeth Palace?

If this is a way of appeasing the Chinese by meeting on neutral territory then the decision is nothing less than a disgrace and another example of the Prime Minister's inablity to make a clear decision.

This morning's leader in the Times reminds us that

The Chinese leadership has blamed him for single-handedly instigating the anti-Chinese protests two months ago, for inspiring global demonstrations against the Olympic torch relay, for whipping up anti-Chinese feeling and for a “splittist” campaign for Tibetan independence. Beijing has systematically denounced any Western leader who has met the 72-year-old Tibetan, boycotted every international gathering at which he has appeared and ordered political and economic retaliation against those countries where he has been officially welcomed.
and adds that

The decision is a disgrace. It smacks of pusillanimous fudge. It is appropriate that the Dalai Lama should be received by the Archbishop of Canterbury: he is, after all, a man of towering spiritual importance. It is also appropriate, indeed essential, that he should be accorded proper political respect by the Prime Minister. By trying to have it both ways, Mr Brown has made himself look ridiculous.


And not for the first time

1 comment:

continuumone said...

It is really interesting to note that in today’s world it is more important to schmooze up to, and kowtow with one of the most, well what can one say but depraved and deplorable regimes on the planet in order not to upset their big egos and jeopardize lucrative trade they might control.
Principles and ethics don’t count for squat, ‘Realpolitik’ is the order of the day.
But does anyone realize that this just equals Prostitution; for such stands will come back to haunt the perpetrators of such spineless behaviour.
Politicians would be the first to note failures to make a principled stand in past history, but the lessons arising from it eludes the grasp of every one of them.
Politicians are more concerned with small, short term gains to their ego, than grand, long term achievements that could make them an icon of respectability for generations to come.
No such luck however with the current crop of ‘Leaders’, even though the Tibet issue is such a clear cut, and well explored and documented issue.
That is if one omits the blatant distortions and fabrications the CCP incessantly proffers, and takes the facts as it has been well expounded by true experts, but whose voice is being drowned out by the cacophony of verbal venom, vitriol and lies from the CCP cabal.
Tibet is an illegally occupied country and the Chinese Leadership is at best a cabal that does not even recognize any civil code as we know it and needs to be put into its place.
If just one politician, parliament, country, could be the “first” to find a moral fibre left in its soul and make a stand and move on the Tibet issue; declare it an Occupied Country, raise the issue once again at the UN, recognize the Tibetan Government in Exile and thumb it to the Chinese as they constantly do to the rest of the world, and the rest of the “civilized” would follow.
Get the true background on Tibet and the riots


A careful look at history