Dalai Lama says world should be firm with China

By Emma Vandore - Associated Press
Thursday, August 14, 2008 - Web Link
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August 13, 2008

The Dalai Lama said Wednesday that the world should be firm with China on human rights and freedoms but must also try to bring it into the "mainstream of world democracy."

The Tibetan spiritual leader's 12-day visit to France, coinciding largely with the Beijing Olympics, is devoted mostly to spiritual matters. But Wednesday offered two opportunities to discuss the issue of tensions in Tibet _ a news conference and a meeting with French lawmakers.

French deputies who attended the closed-door meeting said the Dalai Lama told them violence by Chinese authorities in Tibet continues.

"He said the repression is hard and fierce," said Louis de Broissia, a senator for French President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party. A Senate statement said the Dalai Lama spoke of "arbitrary arrests, summary executions and torture to death."

At a news conference, the Dalai Lama said the international community "should be firm" with China on the issues of democracy, human rights, religious freedom and the rule of law.

"But we should not isolate China" and instead bring it into the international community with "genuine friendship," he said.

"After the Olympics, what will happen?" he asked. "I don't know. Wait and see."

Leaders in Beijing see the Olympics as a chance to showcase their country's emergence as a new world power. Critics are increasingly using the attention the games are attracting to condemn what they say is China's failure to follow through on pledges to improve human rights included with China's bid to host the games.