MARTIN GREETS DALAI LAMA (Cheltenham Liberal Democrats)

Cheltenham Liberal Democrats <info@cheltlibdems.org.uk>

MARTIN GREETS DALAI LAMA

May 21, 2008 4:17 PM

Martin greets The Dalai Lama

CHELTENHAM MP Martin Horwood today greeted exiled Tibetan leader The Dalai Lama at a meeting in Parliament. Martin first saw the Tibetan leader in person more than ten years ago at a meeting in India when he worked there for development charity Oxfam. When elected as an MP, he quickly joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet and has raised questions in the House about British support for Tibetan autonomy.

The 14th Dalai Lama met the all-party group and will also meet Conservative party leader David Cameron and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. Prime Minister Gordon Brown agreed to meet the Tibetan leader but chose the unusual location of Lambeth Palace, residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, instead of 10 Downing Street.

Martin commented: 'It was a great honour to meet His Holiness. The thing that I remembered most from seeing him in India all those years ago was his infectious smile and his cheeky laugh. He was still smiling today despite all the awful news that has come out of his country in recent months. But his serious message was that only through dialogue and non-violence can Tibetan and Chinese come together and look forward to a happy future. He reiterated his support for democracy and non-violence. I'm pleased that there was such a big welcome for him in Parliament"

"It is a shame though that our Prime Minister didn't feel able to meet the Dalai Lama at 10 Downing Street. Meeting him at Lambeth Palace suggests we see him only as a spiritual leader and not as the political head of his people. The truth is that only the Dalai Lama has the moral and political authority to deliver a peaceful deal between China and Tibet. I think Gordon Brown's action today sends a very bad signal to the Chinese government at a time when we should be doing all we can to support the Tibetan people."