Ngawang C. Drakmargyapon
Phayul Special Correspondent
United Nations, Geneva, March 13 March: The portrait of the Dalai Lama features prominently in a photo-exhibition at the United Nations here which opened yesterday called, “Figures of Peace” along with portraits of many Nobel Prize Laureates.
The Dalai Lama’s portrait, “14th Dalai Lama of Tibet” carried citation: “For his non-violent fight for self-determination in Tibet.” Under the photograph, the Dalai Lama signed an appeal in Tibetan in his own hand-writing given in Bonn on 18 June 1999 which carried this message: “The darkness of violence can only be enlightened by compassion. We therefore need to promote compassion with efforts.”
The exhibition sponsored by the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations and the United Nations Cultural Activities runs until 28 March. The photographs of the featured Nobel laureates were taken by Michelene Pelletier and the exhibition is dedicated to Aung San Suu Kyi for her freedom.
At this stage there was no news of any opposition from China to inclusion of the Dalai Lama’s message at this event although the China is well-known for blocking the Dalai Lama presence, in any form, at United Nations forums.
In August 1999, a newsstand inside the United Nations here was forced to take down a portrait of the Dalai Lama. The newsstand had put up the picture and books of the Tibetan leader to mark his visit to Switzerland that summer.
According to a UN Press Release of 25 January, China’s representative of China blocked the applications of two NGOs, PeaceJam Foundation and Agape International Spiritual Centre, both based in the United States, sensing their contacts with the Dalai Lama. The two organisations had applied for consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. China asked PeaceJam Foundation whether or not the NGO or any of its board members were associated with Tibet in any way.
