| The Dalai Lama met with President George Bush | | | | -Honorary citizen of the Ukraine |
| this week. He was in Washington to receive | | | | |
| the highest award of the legislative branch | | | | -Jaime Brunet Prize for Human Rights |
| of the United States government. Congress | | | | |
| awarded the Dalai Lama with the Congressional | | | | -Hilton Humanitarian Award |
| Gold Medal on October 17, 2007 in an event in | | | | |
| the Capital Rotunda. The Chinese Government | | | | -Honorary Doctorate from Southern Cross |
| reacted angrily about the award bestowed on | | | | University in Australia |
| the Dalai Lama and the meeting between the | | | | |
| Dalai Lama and President Bush. An editorial | | | | -Honorary Doctorate in chemistry and pharmacy |
| in the official China Daily newspaper, titled | | | | from the Univ. of Munster in Germany |
| "Wrong Move by the US," said: "This event | | | | |
| will certainly cast a shadow over the | | | | Since his forced exile in 1954, the Dalai |
| relations." Chinese Foreign Minister Yang | | | | Lama has worked for an end to human rights |
| Jiechi added: "It seriously violates the norm | | | | abuses in Tibet. He supports autonomy for |
| of international relations and seriously | | | | Tibet within Chinese sovereignty in |
| wounded the feelings of the Chinese people | | | | accordance with the constitution of the |
| and interfered with China's internal | | | | People's Republic of China. The Chinese |
| affairs." Also, Consider the statements about | | | | government fears the Dalai Lama will split |
| the Dalai Lama's scheduled meeting with | | | | China apart by eventually seeking |
| President George Bush from China's Foreign | | | | independence from China. As a result, the |
| Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao :"The Dalai | | | | Chinese government has never directly met |
| Lama is not a simple or a pure religious | | | | with the Dalia Lama or made any concessions. |
| figure. He is a political exile who | | | | The Dalai Lama has appealed to the United |
| undertakes secessionist activities abroad. We | | | | Nations, which resulted in three resolutions |
| oppose meetings between him and other | | | | adopted by the General Assembly in 1959, |
| leaders." | | | | 1961, and 1965. The resolutions required |
| | | | China to respect the human rights of Tibetans |
| The Chinese Government's reaction shows that | | | | and their desire to self determination. |
| even after fifty three years of forced exile | | | | |
| from the leadership of his country of Tibet, | | | | At the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in |
| the Dalai Lama remains an international | | | | 1987 in Washington D.C. , the Dalai Lama |
| figure truly feared in Beijing. Despite | | | | proposed a Five-Point Peace plan regarding |
| persistent efforts to undermine him by | | | | the future status of Tibet. The plan called |
| Chinese authorities, Tibetans continue to | | | | for Tibet to become a "zone of peace" It also |
| revere the Dalai Lama as their spiritual and | | | | called for "respect for fundamental human |
| political leader. In addition, the seventy | | | | rights and democratic freedoms" and "the end |
| two year old Dalai Lama has been embraced by | | | | of China's use of Tibet for nuclear weapons |
| the free world as a champion of human rights | | | | production, testing, and disposal." Finally, |
| and as a man of peace. In addition to the | | | | it urged "earnest negotiations" on the future |
| Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to him | | | | of Tibet. |
| this week, here is a list of some of the | | | | |
| other worldwide awards and recognition | | | | The political problem for China is that the |
| bestowed on Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth | | | | international community is well aware of |
| Dalai Lama: | | | | China's dismal ongoing human rights record in |
| | | | Tibet. Under the Chinese occupation, the |
| - Winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize | | | | Tibetan people are denied the rights to |
| | | | self-determination, freedom of speech, |
| - Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award 1994 | | | | assembly, movement, expression and travel. |
| | | | China's consistent use of excessive military |
| - World Security Annual Peace Award | | | | force to stifle dissent has resulted in |
| | | | widespread human rights abuses including |
| - Peace and Unity Award from the National | | | | arbitrary arrests, political imprisonment, |
| Peace Conference | | | | torture, and execution. Human rights groups |
| | | | have documented at least 60 deaths of |
| - Earth Prize from the U.N. and United Earth | | | | peaceful demonstrators since 1987 and the |
| | | | imprisonment of thousands for political |
| - Advancing Human Liberty from the Freedom | | | | reasons. Many people are detained without |
| House | | | | charge or trial for up to four years through |
| | | | administrative regulations entitled |
| - Le Prix De La Memoire from Foundation | | | | "re-education through labor". |
| Danielle Mitterand, France | | | | |
| | | | In recent years, the Dalai Lama has had |
| - Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Award | | | | indirect talks with China through designated |
| | | | representatives in six rounds of discussions |
| - Presidential Distinguished Professor at | | | | through the Sino-Tibetan dialogue. The latest |
| Emory University | | | | round of talks concluded in July 2007, again |
| | | | without Chinese concessions. |
| -Time Magazine's 100 most influential people | | | | |
| in the world in 2005 | | | | The free world gives him awards. China |
| | | | relentlessly undermines and ignores him. For |
| -Honorary citizen of Canada in 2006 - | | | | his part, the Dalai Lama continues his more |
| Parliament of Canada voted unanimously | | | | than fifty year crusade for the people of |
| | | | Tibet. |