Friday, June 18, 2010

Dalai Lama slams China

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, speaks to students and guests at Hunter College as part of The Bridge Conference, a Tibetan and Chinese Youth Dialogue Project.
The 14th Dalai Lama speaks to students and guests at Hunter College as part of The Bridge Conference, a Tibetan and Chinese Youth Dialogue Project.

The Dalai Lama scolded the Chinese government for its censorship and propaganda in a speech at Hunter College Sunday morning. "Openness and freedom of speech are essential," the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of about 20 million Tibetan [Vajrayana] Buddhists, told a conference of 230 Chinese and Tibetan students.

"Under fear, with police watching, how can harmony develop? Harmony by gun -- impossible." The world-renowned monk [and politician] has lived in exile in India since 1959 after a failed uprising of Tibetans against Chinese rule. He said he believes in self-governing "autonomy" for Tibet within China instead of total separation from the super-power -- but that apparently hasn't won him any friends in high places. More>>

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