"Working for Human Rights is an Act of Compassion" - HHDL

news feed: Dalai Lama gets human rights award in Washington

(AP)Oct. 6th
WASHINGTON – Lawmakers honored the Dalai Lama with a human rights award Tuesday even as President Barack Obama faced harsh criticism for delaying a meeting with the exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader.
The Dalai Lama and Obama will not meet until after Obama visits Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing in November. China reviles the Dalai Lama and pressures foreign governments not to meet with him. The Obama administration, which needs Chinese support for crucial foreign policy, economic and environmental goals, wants to establish friendly ties between Hu and Obama during next month's visit.

link to the full text of the article:
Dalai Lama receives rights award at Capitol
a link to a video about it with an excerpt from HHDL's speech (by AP)

Dalai Lama set aside by Obama, honored at U.S Capitol (Reuters)
....
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi presented the award to the Dalai Lama and warned: "Unless we speak out for human rights in China and Tibet, we lose moral authority to speak out for human rights anywhere else in the world."
....
Republican Senator John McCain, who lost last year's presidential election to Obama, also spoke at the ceremony, saying: "The Dalai Lama has spent his life in the passionate, tireless and non-violent defense of his people's right to self-determination and dignity."
...
Obama to meet Dalai Lama after China trip (AFP)


Relevant UPDATES:

Chinese writer embraces Dalai Lama, seeks dialogue (AFP)
Chinese writer Wang Lixiong (husband to the Beijing based Tibetan poet and blogger Woeser) who helped spearhead a petition by 308 prominent Chinese who last year questioned Beijing's crackdown on protests in Tibet, received 'Light of Truth' award in Washington at a Campaign for Tibet ceremony, and at the stage publicly exchanged embrace with the Dalai Lama, in defiance to Chinese authorities. It remains to be seen what repercussions this will have when he returns back to China.

US House speaker Pelosi Remarks at the International Campaign for Tibet's 'Light of Truth' Awards Ceremony

My view?

Well it is hard to be in President Obama's shoes right now. He is a politician. In his pre-election campaign he was pro-human rights, pro-Tibet, etc. Met the Dalai Lama then (probably because taking a picture with the saffron-robed old monk looked good for his pole ratings?). His administration however obviously thinks that with softer diplomacy you get better results with the Chinese. Maybe not for the Tibet issue, but the upcoming visit in November to Beijing is important to get the Chinese join in the effort of making the Copenhagen talks about climate change work, negotiations with North Korea work, etc. At least that's what the Americans hope for.
We are heading for the time when pragmatism trumps anything and everything.

And while it might be so indeed, and making the Chinese participate in the world affairs is generally speaking a good a idea, not meeting the Dalai Lama sends the wrong message to the Chinese and to the rest of the World.

The problem is, I think the Chinese are smart and play with that very well.
With the Chinese, which are simply totally obsessed with history, PRECEDENT is everything!

The fact is the Chinese are very ambitious to become world No2 with the ultimate goal of preferably being No1. And that not only as economic power. And they are going to start more and more meddling in the world affairs (just as the Americans do - "to protect their interests"). Nevermind their assurances about 'China's peaceful rise' and 'not wishing to become hegemon'. With the huge surge in nationalism among the ordinary Chinese, hugely encouraged and directed from above, it is scary to imagine what will happen when more emboldened and empowered China is on the world stage. Hitler Germany's social nationalism rose because of the humiliation from losing WW1. Chinese are very BIG in holding grudge for the past. One very clear example is their attitude towards the Japanese.
The difference between having America as hegemon and having China as hegemon is that Americans (at least some of them) have some certain set of values that they profess to believe in. Values that they try to spread. Some of those values per se are not that bad - democracy, human rights, etc.
The question is, what does the new aspiring to become World hegemon, i.e. China, promote as values and how those values are going to influence the future of mankind?!
Judging from the current state of the value system in China, it is VERY scary to think that those people who lack integrity, who lack basic values and principles, who lack ethical and moral base, who lack spirituality and respect are the aspiring future rulers of the World.

At the same time involving China into the world matters is in a way 'the right strategy'. Obviously it is done with the hope that if China gets more involved and engaged it will naturally change and adapt to the established set of world values. And while that might be true and work out, at the same time while encouraging China to enter the world stage the world is also empowering China to start changing this set of world values. And that's where the danger is. And that's what we are actually witnessing as happening.

For the Obama's administration these days the Dalai Lama seems to be expendable. Yes, he is a good man making a photo with whom will look good in the portfolio, BUT the Dalai Lama has no power whatsoever. And the Tibetans are what, only 7 million?
Politicians (and diplomats) talk and meet with those who have power, who are useful, who can get things done. They don't meet people because they are good and nice, and are pleasant to spend time with, right?!

At the same time the Dalai Lama is a very powerful symbol. Undoubtedly he is a man who has and is doing much in making this world a better place. It's a fact.
Yes, he talks and 'lobbies' for Tibet, etc. , but most importantly people know him and are positively influenced by his talk about compassion, about Buddhism. In other words, he is effectively spreading the Dharma. And that is a very very big deal.

So for me, support for the Dalai Lama is not support for the 'Tibetan cause', it's a support for the promotion of a set of positive human values and principles.