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