Dalai Lama 'saddened' at Chinese 'propaganda' portrayal
Sunday, 25 May 2008 12:16
Dalai Lama saddened that Chinese "propaganda" portrays him as "demon"
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The Dalai Lama has expressed his sadness that Chinese "propaganda" portrays him as a "devil with horns".
Speaking in Nottingham, the exiled Tibetan leader said the tight information control perpetuated by Beijing left many thinking him a "demon".
"Millions of innocent Chinese will have no other way to get information except government propaganda," he told his audience at the Nottingham Arena.
"If millions feel that the Dalai Lama is a demon, then I feel very sad.
"This is no help to solve the problems. A final solution must be found between Chinese and Tibetans, that's all," he explained.
He met with Gordon Brown at London's Lambeth Palace on Thursday, with the British prime minister criticised for receiving the Dalai Lama in a religious capacity rather than a political one, given his central role in opposing China's oppression of dissent in Tibet.
The meeting was also criticised by the Chinese government, who said it "interfered in China's internal affairs".
"The British government has many times expressed that it does not support Tibetan independence," said foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang Qin.
"We urge the British side to implement its commitment with real actions and do more things that are beneficial to the long-term development of bilateral relations."
It was confirmed on Sunday that the path of the Olympic torch through Tibet is to be shortened, one of several adjustments made to the route after a massive earthquake hit China's Sichuan province on May 12th.