Freiburg, Germany, July 28: The Dalai Lama criticized China’s human rights record while on a visit to the south-western German city of Freiburg Saturday.
“The economy is booming but the democratization of China is not making any progress,” the Dalai Lama said.
The 72-year-old Buddhist leader, who in 1989 received the Nobel Peace Prize, urged the international community not to look away from human rights violations in China but to press for reform.
He singled out religious freedom and freedom of the press as particular concerns in China, which he described as on the way to becoming an “economic superpower.”
The Dalai Lama was entered into the “Golden Book” in the city hall and inaugurated a peace sculpture, or Stupa, in the garden of the city’s Buddhist temple.
He said he had met with great interest and enthusiasm during his trip to Germany, which began in Hamburg on July 19.
The Dalai Lama is to return to his home in India on Sunday.
