By Tendar Tsering
DHARAMSHALA, June 22: The Italian city of Milan has withdrawn plans to bestow an honourary citizenship on Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, reportedly under pressure from the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Rome.
Italy’s second largest newspaper La Repubblica on Thursday reported that Milan city leaders came under direct pressure from the Italian Foreign Ministry and the Chinese ambassador to drop the idea to honour the Tibetan Nobel Laureate.
“In a decision that outraged supporters of the Tibetan cause, Milan has backed away from plans to give the Dalai Lama honourary citizenship because of concerns about upsetting China,” the paper said.
It has also been reported that the European country was apprehensive of jeopardising talks with Beijing over holding an international exposition in Milan in 2015.
Milan city council member Pietro Tatarella told media that that he was ashamed of the move by the Italian foreign ministry.
“I am ashamed to be a representative of a council and a city that are scared,” said Tatarella.
According to sources, the Milan city council had planned to vote on making the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen before his visit next week to Italy.
The Dalai Lama is currently in Scotland on a fifteen-day trip to Europe. He will be visiting Italy on the last leg of his tour.
This week in England, the 76-year old Tibetan leader met the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Prince Charles amongst many other dignitaries.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall, met the Dalai Lama for the first time in four years at the Clarence House for over an hour.
The Dalai Lama described Prince Charles as the “best of friends”.
“I always consider him from my first meeting, a very close, best of friends,” the Tibetan spiritual leader said.
“This gentleman right from the beginning, I felt very nice person, good human,” the Dalai Lama added while urging him to continue his work.
