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AuthorTopic: Canada, the Dalai Lama, Tibet and Trade with China (Read 86 times)
Levi
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Canada, the Dalai Lama, Tibet and Trade with China
« Thread Started on Apr 16, 2004, 9:08pm »		[Quote]
The Dalai Lama is being met by a Canadian Prime Minister for the 1st time in history... but not as a political leader. Meanwhile the feds sent out a memo... well, you'll read it. Bottome line, in this instance, Canada is more concerned with not irritating Beijing than they are with human rights.

Here's the question. What do you think about Tibet, China, etc? Can/Should one try to separate the political and spiritual roles that the Dalai Lama plays?

.........


Politicians to tread lightly when meeting Dalai Lama

Foreign Affairs taking pains to make sure they see him only on spiritual grounds

By MICHAEL VALPY
Friday, April 16, 2004 - Page A3

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When the Dalai Lama flew into California from India earlier this week for three days of spiritual teaching and lectures, he was given full exalted personage treatment - an official motorcade, diplomatic security protection, and a smiling Paula Dobriansky turning up in Pasadena to officially welcome him to the United States.

Ms. Dobriansky is Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs, putting her no more than two notches below U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. She is also Special Co-ordinator for Tibetan Issues in the administration of President George W. Bush.

As Special Co-ordinator for Tibet - the third person to hold the office since it was created in the late 1980s -- her mandate is to encourage dialogue between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama leading to an agreement on human rights and cultural protection for Tibetans.

The Dalai Lama was spiritual and political leader of Tibet until Chinese troops tightened their control in 1959, claiming it to be an inalienable part of their country. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since.

Although the United States, like Canada, does not recognize Tibetan autonomy, every president since George H. W. Bush has met with the Dalai Lama - minus any verbal mascara about the meetings being spiritual affairs. President Bill Clinton met him five or six times, the current president twice.

Such a difference a border makes.

When the Dalai Lama crosses the 49th parallel tomorrow - arriving in Vancouver first, followed by visits to Ottawa and Toronto - he will quickly become used to being a man who officially doesn't exist. It no doubt will enhance the humility that his Buddhist religion teaches.

No government official or political leader will officially welcome him anywhere in Canada, and every official who has agreed to meet him has repeated, like a mantra, that they're seeing him only on spiritual grounds.

Almost certainly this has something to do with a Department of Foreign Affairs document issued two months ago, telling municipal and provincial government leaders to avoid meeting the Dalai Lama at official locations or official functions and in general to be wary of appearing with him at "unpredictable" public events.

In addition, the three-page document - apparently sent to the mayors of Vancouver, Ottawa and Toronto, the premiers of British Columbia and Ontario, as well as federal cabinet ministers - warns that Tibetan flags and other objects or signs "conferring sovereignty" on Tibet should not be displayed in public places visited by the Dalai Lama.

It specifies that the government of Canada "has not been involved in any aspect of the organization of this visit, except for matters related to security" and it implies that any government sponsorship of, or financial contributions to, events organized around the Dalai Lama's visit essentially were not a good idea.

It also states that if any political leaders do decide to meet with him, "it is important to bear in mind that emphasis should be on spiritual [and] civic matters, as opposed to political issues which might appear to confer recognition of sovereignty."

The visit of the DL - as the Foreign Affairs document calls him - "is an extremely sensitive political issue, due to opposition by the Chinese government. They view the DL as a 'splittist' whose aim is to push for Tibetan sovereignty and independence from China.

A former official with the Tibetan government-in-exile's office in New York said the U.S. State Department had never put out a comparable document.

What it means in Canada is that B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell will be the host at a civic sort of lunch for the "honoured guests" - the Dalai Lama being one - taking part in the Dalai Lama's round-table discussion on ethical and spiritual issues.

Prime Minister Paul Martin and Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli will meet the Dalai Lama - briefly - at the residence of Ottawa's Roman Catholic Archbishop Marcel Gervais. Mr. Martin is the first Canadian head of government to meet with him, although governor-general Edward Schreyer met with him in 1980.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Toronto Mayor David Miller haven't worked out a date or venue for a meeting, but Mr. McGuinty has said he will be seeing the Dalai Lama in his spiritual role.

Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Kimberly Phillips would not discuss the substantive details of the departmental document. She said: "When we're asked for advice we respond. The department provides advice to government and business clients on a case-by-case basis each time we are contacted, whether in writing or by telephone. The degree of detail we provide depends on the nature of the request."

The Canada Tibet Committee, organizers of the Dalai Lama's visit, has urged Mr. Martin to offer to broker negotiations between China and the Dalai Lama, but Canadian government officials have said that is not going to happen. The Canadian government has in the past raised Tibetan human-rights issues with the Chinese.


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« Last Edit: Apr 16, 2004, 9:09pm by Levi »Link to Post - Back to Top  IP: Logged
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