Dharamsala, Oct 9: China on Friday warned members of the US Congress to ‘stop using the Tibet issue’ to meddle in Beijing’s domestic politics, after top US lawmakers gave a human rights award to the Dalai Lama.
‘We urge some US members of Congress to respect the history and the facts, recognise the true face of the Dalai Lama and stop using the Tibet issue to interfere in China’s internal affairs,’ AFP reported foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu as saying.
‘Chinese people know exactly what kind of man the Dalai Lama is,’ Ma said, when asked about the award given to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader by the congressional Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, named for a late lawmaker.
‘He is the leader of the dark feudal serf system of old Tibet, who is still engaged in splitting the motherland and undermining Tibet’s social stability and national unity,” Ma added.
The Dalai Lama, who is in Washington for a week-long visit, has repeatedly insisted he only wants greater autonomy for Tibet and not full-fledged independence.
Several top Congressional leaders also met the exiled Tibetan leader on Thursday, reaffirming their support to the Tibetan cause.
“I remain concerned about religious freedom, cultural freedom and human rights for Tibetans, and believe these issues should be an important part of our discussions with China,” PTI reported Senator Harry Reid as saying after his meeting with the Dalai Lama.
Reid said the two leaders discussed many important issues including the current situation in Tibet. “The Dalai Lama is a symbol of peace and hope for so many around the world and his work on behalf of the people of Tibet continues to be a source of inspiration for his countrymen,” he said.
The Tibetan spiritual leader also met the members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during which they discussed a wide range of issues including the Dalai Lama’s tireless efforts to forge reconciliation with China and advance the human rights of Tibetans through peaceful dialogue.
The Chinese criticism comes even though President Barack Obama did not meet the Dalai Lama during the trip. US President Barack Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, has said he will meet the Dalai Lama later this year, after his maiden presidential trip to China next month – a move criticised by rights groups and some lawmakers.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who appeared alongside the Dalai Lama at the Congressional awards ceremony in the US Capitol on Tuesday, called Tibet a ‘challenge to the conscience of the world’ and urged China to consider the Dalai Lama’s message of tolerance.
