By IAN SWANSON AND KEVIN HURLEY
THE Dalai Lama surprised MSPs by making political comments on the first day of a hectic visit to the Capital.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner – who is also head of state for the Tibetan government in exile since 1950, when China took control – led the Scottish Parliament in a spiritual ceremony before stunning politicians by discussing the Chinese government.
The leader of the Tibetan Buddhists took the opportunity of questions from an audience of MSPs, church leaders and invited guests to set out his hopes for Tibetan autonomy from China.
Bare-armed and clad in flowing burgundy robes, he also expressed concern over the international arms trade following reports that a European embargo on weapons sales with China could be lifted.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader told an audience he believed it was not necessary to sell arms to China, but conceded such a move could be aimed at building trust between the government there and those in the West.
He was asked about reports earlier this week that Prime Minister Tony Blair is to back an end to the arms embargo placed on China in the wake of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The Dalai Lama suggested it was a “delicate question”, but insisted he was “basically, always against the arms trade”.
As an example, he suggested that in the run-up to the first Gulf War, “Saddam Hussein, the dictator, had not come from the sky”, saying no-one could be a dictator without a powerful army.
At first he spoke through an interpreter, telling MSPs it was “a great pleasure and honour” to visit “this unique Scottish Parliament”.
He said: “I think there are some similarities between your concern for preserving your culture and identity and spirituality [and Tibet’s], so I think I can learn something from your experience.”
Green MSP Chris Ballance, convener of Holyrood’s cross-party group on Tibet, said: “I was surprised because I had heard questions of a political nature would not be allowed and there had been pressure put on parliament from the Chinese government.”
He said the Dalai Lama had shown a great interest in the Scottish Parliament. “He was almost accepting the Scottish Parliament as a model that could be proposed for an autonomous Tibet.”
The Dalai Lama also met with other religious leaders at the City Art Centre yesterday for an informal gathering of about 15 invited guests.
Earlier, about 25 schoolchildren from the Royal Mile Primary School also got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet His Holiness.
As he left a hotel in Holyrood Road at around noon, he individually greeted schoolchildren who had gathered to see him.
Robyn Bold, eight, said: “We’ve been watching videos and learning about him in school, so I was very excited to see him in real life.”
The Dalai Lama appeared very taken by Iona Thubten Dechen, aged four. His Holiness touched the child’s face and offered her his blessing, to the delight of her parents.
Iona’s mother, Maris Warrior, 33, who came to Scotland from Estonia six years ago, described the meeting as a “beautiful moment”.
The Dalai Lama was expected to head to Dunfermline this morning for the final leg of his UK tour.
He was also scheduled to address a crowd of 2200 at the Usher Hall today.
