By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, November 13: French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU presidency, said he would hold a long-awaited meeting with the Dalai Lama next month during a visit to Poland, according to media reports.
The two will meet during Sarkozy’s visit to Gdansk, Poland, on December 6.
In his announcement, Sarkozy says Tibetans have the right to freedom, not repression, an indirect criticism of China, and praised the Dalai Lama as a distinguished man.
“The Dalai Lama is a distinguished man, a man who inspires profound respect and I will have the opportunity to see him in Poland on December 6,” Mr Sarkozy reportedly said.
“The Tibetans should not be subjected to repression and, like everyone else, they have a right to freedom,” Mr Sarkozy said at the Elysee palace.
“But at the same time, should we sever contact with one billion three hundred million Chinese who have made unquestionable progress over the past decade?” Mr Sarkozy added.
“One does not justify the other, of course. But if we do not go to Beijing, if we do not discuss, if we do not share our concerns, if we do not progress step-by-step, then how will we ensure that the idea that we have of respect for rights and freedoms will prevail?” he said.
The Tibetan spiritual leader and Mr Sarkozy will both be attending ceremonies in Poland to mark the 25th anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Lech Walesa, the anti-communist union activist who later became president.
Some observers thought Sarkozy snubbed the Dalai Lama by not meeting with him when the exiled Tibetan leader was in France for 12 days during the Beijing Olympics.
During the visit, the Dalai Lama expressed hope that Paris would press China for concessions in Tibet.
While in France, the Dalai Lama was met by the country’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, human rights minister Rama Yade and first lady Carla Bruni.
But Mr Sarkozy declined a meeting with the Buddhist leader supposedly after Beijing warned that such direct contact would have serious consequences for bilateral relations.
From Dharamsala, his exile home in the northern India, the Dalai Lama travels extensively around the world promoting human values, teaching Buddhism and, advocating for Tibetan rights and their struggle for greater freedom. He often meets with world leaders to present the case of Tibet.
Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China, which sent military troops to occupy the predominantly Buddhist Himalayan country in 1949. China has also regularly protested against countries and world leaders that agree to host him.
The Dalai Lama says he is only seeking a “real and meaningful” autonomy for Tibetan people within the constitutional framework of China and opposes the use of violence.
The Tibetan leader last month said he was losing “faith and trust” in dealing with Chinese leadership for a negotiated solution over the future of Tibet. The Dalai Lama complained that the situation in Tibet is worsening and that there hasn’t been any positive response to his sincerely peaceful approach from the Chinese side.
