By Sherab Woeser
His Holiness the Dalai Lama met with U.S. President Barack Obama for nearly 45 minutes at the White House on Saturday.
AFP quoted the Tibetan spiritual leader as saying that President Obama shared “genuine concerns” about human rights in Tibet.
“(Obama) is president of the greatest democratic country, so naturally he is showing concern about basic human values, human rights, religious freedom,” the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying.
A brief statement from the White House following the meeting said that President Obama “underscored the importance of the protection of human rights of Tibetans in China”.
“The President reiterated his strong support for the preservation of the unique religious, cultural, and linguistic traditions of Tibet and the Tibetan people throughout the world”, the statement said.
While reiterating U.S. policy accepting People’s Republic Of China’s rule over Tibet, the statement said that President Obama “commended the Dalai Lama’s commitment to nonviolence and dialogue with China and his pursuit of the “Middle Way” approach”.
“The President stressed that he encourages direct dialogue to resolve long-standing differences and that a dialogue that produces results would be positive for China and Tibetans”, the statement noted.
The White House statement also carried a mention on His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressing his hopes to President Obama that “dialogue between his representatives and the Chinese government can soon resume”.
The meeting comes less than 10 days before US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to visit the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Vice President Joseph Biden is also scheduled to visit China this summer, followed by a trip to Washington by China’s heir apparent, Xi Jinping.
Obama last met the Dalai Lama in February 2010.
