Aright, where's sajha's Bob Marley (who stereotyped all Tibetans earlier as being murderers and only the white peeps who believe in Free Tibet)?  Anything negative to say on this, damn racist?  BTW, most/some of us here in sajha ain't Tibetan but defintiely do sympathize with their cause.

 

From the BBC news today:

The Dalai Lama is set to receive a Congressional Gold Medal, the top US civilian honour, later on Wednesday - a move which has infuriated China.

George W Bush will attend the ceremony in Washington, becoming the first sitting US president to appear in public with the exiled Tibetan leader.

Chinese state media warned it would "cast a shadow" over ties with the US.

Beijing has been accused of human rights abuses in Tibet, which its communist troops occupied in 1951.

Mr Bush met the Dalai Lama behind-closed-doors on Tuesday in the White House residence, rather than the Oval Office, out of deference to China. It was their third private meeting in six years.

'Gross interference'
But Wednesday's elaborate ceremony to honour the Nobel Peace Prize winner on Capitol Hill will be a much more public affair.
Beijing described it as a "gross interference in China's internal affairs".
"China is strongly resentful of this and resolutely opposes it," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying on Wednesday.

An editorial in the official China Daily newspaper, titled "Wrong Move by the US," said: "This event will certainly cast a shadow over the relations."

A White House spokeswoman said on Tuesday Mr Bush understood Beijing's concerns.

But she added: "We would hope the Chinese leader would get to know the Dalai Lama as the president sees him - as a spiritual leader and someone who wants peace."

Beijing has long argued the Dalai Lama is seeking to destroy China's sovereignty by pushing for independence for devoutly Buddhist Tibet.

The 72-year-old insists he wants "real autonomy", not independence for the region, which Beijing claims is an "inalienable" part of China.

Balancing act
Analysts say it is a delicate diplomatic balancing act for Mr Bush, who needs China's help to manage nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea.
Meanwhile, China's Communist Party, which is holding its 17th Congress this week, is highly sensitive to potential embarrassment as it prepares to stage next year's Olympics.

US lawmakers regularly accuse Beijing of turning a blind eye to alleged human rights abuses in Burma and Sudan in its pursuit of energy and business deals.

Recently, world leaders have grown more vocal in their concern for human rights in Tibet.

In September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the Dalai Lama, incurring Beijing's wrath.

The historic Berlin meeting prompted China to withdraw from a German-Chinese symposium scheduled to be held in Munich and to cancel an annual event due to be held in Beijing in December to discuss human rights.

The Dalai Lama has also met Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer and Australian Prime Minister John Howard this year, and is due to meet Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper later this month.

China was outraged when Canada granted the Dalai Lama honorary citizenship last year

man china is really gettting pissed off...  oh ke garney yaar....

Good to see you Samsara.

But what has Dalai Lama done to deserve great honor whereever he goes? I fail to understand. Has he really worked hard in the 'Freeying Tibet' Campaign. I think Tibetians are enjoying their lives whereever they are. Would they return to their Tibet if it is freed ? I highly doubt that.

Last i read on Dalai Lama, he has a hobby of collecting Rolex watches? I think Tibet would have been another North Korea if it was still under Dalai Lama.

People should rather recognize the hard working Tibetians who have proved themselves in a foreign land rather that Dalai lama who is enjoying this status for free.

it is just cosmetic photo op by bush administration.there is no fundamental to it , he is kicked out of tibet and tibet is china and no one can change that.

 It is a deviation from the point  and a smart play by bush admin, are'nt they good at it ?

u couldn't make a dime on that news ..lets put it that way.

u couldn't make a dime on that news ..lets put it that way.

Hope this pisses China Off.

USA needs to stop being such a wuss to China.

If they want to be an International player then they must abide by the same rules.

Lie Human rights and Tibet need to be resolved.

But we will see what they are worth in the olympics next yr.

Hope the Falung Gong folks and the Tibetans give them the same treatment they have been receiving.

 

Those are some very good questions you raised Sheetalb.

Sheetalb, you ask a question where the answer could simply be found googling it rather than show how little you know about the Tibetan cause.  What has he done you ask?  Well, for starters, he was a king who lost his land but yet is still going through the Gandhian/ahimsa principle in trying to let the perpetrators rationalize and realize their misdoings.  Would you or I go down quietly without a fight, especially when all is at stake??  I'd give an eye to have even a bit of the humbleness he possesses.  What else has he done?  What about bringing awareness to the whole Tibetan Refugee issue?  From a movement nobody care about until 1989, it has become a star-studded event.  The success he has brought in the awareness cannot be emulated by any other refugee community in the world. 

Since you know so little about this man, keep reading:

And about rolex watches...He collects them because of his interest in fine arts.  Whats more important, ALL the rolex watches he owns have been presented to him.  Not a single one was bought using the state budget or wuth any of the donations made to him.  Another fact to ponder upon, the Dalai Lama has no personal bank account (checking nor savings).  All funds donated to him (tens of millions a year) are put into the Tibetan Govt in Exile's treasury.  BTW, TGIE has totally been funded through donations only: westerners and other nations and by the Tibetans around the world (they do not have the luxury of taxing their citizens). 

More importantly, unlike dictators/kings (and North Korea which you pointed out), he leaves no will and whatever he leaves does not go to ANY of his family.  The state will own it until a new Dalai Lama is chosen.  Even comparing him to the any politician out there is way too ignorant.  Greed and corruption has no room here as he was merely 2 years of age when he was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama.  Would a 2 year old boy ever think about politics and money??  Also, when boys his age were being boys, he lived a life totally submerged into the religious texts.  I don't know where you get the basis of him being a N Korean dictator or a king as he, himself never asked to rule the country (but was chosen for the role) nor was his father ever a ruler/politician and nor will he ever have the security of having children (on a scarier note, no sex!!)...Damn, Given a choice, I'd definitely not take the job.  Why make it sound glamorous when it totally is not?? 

As for the question, will Tibetans return if Tibet is free...Well, the TGIE under Dalia Lama has been asking for an autonomous govt in Tibet (not a totally "Free" Tibet) for decades.  This request was to help the millions of Tibetans still in Tibet supressed from their true way of life (mainly focusing around inner-peace through religion).  He is NOT asking this for the Tibetans outside at all...A lotta ignorant people still think that half of Tibet left the nation along with the Dalai Lama in 1959.  In conservative estimates by the TGIE,not even 8-10% could do so (mostly the people from the capital went along, the ones in the rural areas had no choice but to remain put).  As the Dalai himself said, Its all a matter of choice.  They left the country on their will to flee with him and if they want to return, it should be upto them.  Listen Sheetalb (and the hundreds who think they know abou the Tibet cause but do not), The ones you mention who won't return are the ones who weren't born or were too little know what transpired during the Dalai Lama's flight from 1959...I've met hundreds from that era who still call Tibet their motherland even 50 years after living in exile!!  Perhaps you just need to go out and see the other half of the population.

BTW, before anyone blasts back at me, I am not a Tibetan (nor were my fore-fathers) but lets say, I have deep sympathy for their cause, hung out and lived with them and more importantly, would support the Dalai Lama in his every decision...For me, He is the rock-star of all cultural icons!!

 

PS: hey Puntedamai, good to see ya too!!

Samsara:

I have huge respect for Tibetians in general especially their hardworking nature and their willingness to adjust anywhere. I really respect them for their sincerity in life. I have a lot of Tibetian friends whose forefathers left Tibet in agony but they have with their hardwork made a respectful living whereever they are today.

But i do not have much respect for the monk/priest of any nature only because i think they are the people who live off others trying to prove themselves for nothing.

And so i have no high regards for this person Dalai Lama. I fail to understand his importance as Politician, Demi-God or even Contributor to the society. Well, i still do not agree with you in saying that he started this whole movement of 'free Tibet' because there is no movement and there is nothing to fight against. And also, i am sure he knows that he can never fight with China in any aspect.

People compare him with Mother Teresa or even Gandhi for that matter but please he is in no comparison to them. They were people who had wide options in front of them to a life of luxury and self -satisfaction but chose a life of great humbleness of serving others and living for a cause.

For Dalai Lama, it is almost a necessity rather than a cause because if he does not do something, his own existance would be nowhere. Who would know him if he chose to live a life somewhere else. Well i could be ignorant in many aspect but still i have no respect for a person who merely talks.

I have listened to some of his speeches and did not understand what he is talking about. He is repeating what other religions talks on peace.

But again this is only my opinion. We all are different and like Laxmi Prasad Devkota wrote in a poem: ( i do not beleive in what you do, your worship is my hatred, your belief is my stupidity and friend, your God is my stone)

 

 

Sheetalb, didn't I just shoot down your rhetorics earlier and proved you totally ignorant on all counts?  Yet, you still put up more points which undeniably, I shall bombard to bits AGAIN.  hahahaha

The Dalai Lama mostly gives his speeches in Tibetan (he tries to give it in english but his limited vocabulary makes him "repeat" the same words over and over).  If you say you went to his sermon, and didn't understand anything, then find a tibetan friend to take you along to the "real" sermon where he is capable of delivering some of the most revealing answers about what plagues humanity.  The westerners who TRULY follow him never miss such an opportunity (view the sermons in english as an elementary course where only the dumbest who want to know the 101s of Buddhism attend).  And on a real ignorant note: Doesn't all religion preach the same views?  I don't know what you were expecting to hear for him as your earlier coment goes: "He is repeating what other religions talks on peace."  He is a holy man and a few of his sentences may fit the bill with other religion's preaching, but to say everything he said was plagiarized is complete refined Bull.  hahahaah   There's that of your theory...Its now been debunked.

Mother Theresa and Gandhi, as per your post had a wide options for a life of luxury but what about the Dalai Lama?  Don't forget that he's a goddamn king and he has hundreds of millions of dollars under the TGIE's finances.  Its such an irony (from your post above) that he, NOT they could've lived a life of privilege and luxury with NO financial worries ever.  But similarly, he went the route of owning nothing, making sure everything belonged to the peeps and the TGIE.  And also, he has no kids or any relatives for whom he can leave his estate (or the future of Tibet), nor any bank account for himself to spend so I don't know how you can say that he can't compare with the other big-wigs of the 20th century.  Realize that he has dedicated his life to the future of Tibet.  Although he has access to all of Tibet's funds: Imagine NEVER being able to fall in love, to NEVER get the love and affection of your parents, to live in a life of SECLUSION, to be rich but still live like a pauper, to lose a childhood where when all kids are being kids, you attend school on turning 2.  To have all the money to buy all the toys in the world but yet only ask for the bare necessities a lama needs: religious texts, imagine being the one who the Tibetan Diaspora (who've lost all hope) continuously look up to for support and guidance?  What do you do to make them believe their dreams of autonomy??  Listen, I, for one, know no one else who would ever be able to do that day in and out for 72 years.  And yet, be so calm and satisfied with nothing (and no financial gains either).  For you to post the above, completely makes no sense here.  Did you eve do some resarch about the Dalai before you came into this thread to post your views that lack even the slight "resemblance" to truth??  I seriously think not!!

BTW, don't lie to us here as I seriously think you're "BS"ing big time here: I can guarantee that you have no Tibetan friends.  Why?  Coz, ALL my life I've NEVER ever seen any Tibetan who would even think of voiceing anything against the Dalai Lama (both young and old).  And I've seen a few Neps who said similar to what you just did above, being ostercized for eternity...They'd avoid you like the plague after that.  I'm dead serious.

hahaha And yeah about the China stuff...Are your nuts?  The Dalai has never asked for what you said earleir, "Free Tibet".  He wants autonomy (which is a far cry from being free).  I seriously think you should google up the answers before coming here with any more questions/theories.  After all, what is the www for!!

 

One last thing for all ya commies/maobadis out there: COMMUNISM SUCKS (be it in nepal of Tibet).  AND IF YOU SYMPATHIZE WITH THE DAMN COMMIES, YOU SUCK BIG TIME TOO!!

Nobel peace prize winner receiving the medal from the war-mongering president. What an irony! Lama should have boycotted Bush!

guest4, And boyoctt the only ones who could've ever helped the plans for an autonomous Tibet??  On matters of being a ruler/spiritual leader/religious head, there is a fine line between politics and religion.  We all know that even though The Dalai sees Bush as a warmonger, the sense of compassion is so great within him that he has forgiven him like he'd do to any normal human out there (The Dalai did mention that the war in Iraq was not the solution when it started but of course, he had to tone it down a little as the US is among the few nations who has taken in his people amid Chiese pressure, awarded immigation rights and treated them as their own.  Hell, in Nepal even the Tibetans born there are not given citizenships nor any land ownership rights, can you fuggin believe that??  They have to get a fake citizenship card by claiming themselves to be gurung, lama, tamang, etc.  I totally feel for these peeps, man).  BTW, the Dalai's compassion is so great that the guy has even forgiven China for all they've done to him and his people.  He says its not upto him or any human to judge and let the laws of karmic rebalancing unfurl.  He once joked that he'd even sit, drink tea and chit-chat with Mao and then discuss matters towards a solution for Tibet which unfotunately, the then Chinese premier vehemently shut down.

China pissed off, India smiled, Iran huged Russia,Turkey lost head,Nepal still in Coma

dalai lama definately deserves Respect

 Ha Ha Ha,

Welcome to the real world of dirty political game. Only if it weren't for their bitter past with the white race, Frenchies would already have been China's best allies ever since they backed out of Iraq war.

Samsara, didn't it ever occur to you that you were contradicting yourself throughout your postings? You said,

“BTW, most/some of us here in sajha ain't Tibetan but defintiely do sympathize with their cause.” ^{Is it some or most?}

“Greed and corruption has no room here as he was merely 2 years of age when he was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama.  Would a 2 year old boy ever think about politics and money??  Also, when boys his age were being boys, he lived a life totally submerged into the religious texts.” - So, if anybody is given the opportunity as he has been given, wouldn't he/she be decorated with awards and medals just as he has been? And is it not that whatever he has achieved, it is not on the basis of merit and his intelligence and just because he was the lucky or the chosen one?

“We all know that even though The Dalai sees Bush as a warmonger, the sense of compassion is so great within him that he has forgiven him like he'd do to any normal human out there” - First of all, I don't know that, may be you do, but I don't. I also don't know what compassion compells him to forgive Bush and 'Mao' but what I know is he ultimately vanishes deep into the Man Sarobar lake when it comes to asking Bush to take his hands off of Iraq. Even if he does, he is not going to pursue Bush. Does this not make him a politician? Where does his humanity go when he can ask for a free Tibet but not for a free Iraq?

“Hell, in Nepal even the Tibetans born there are not given citizenships nor any land ownership rights, can you fuggin believe that?? â€œ - Nowhere in the world your offsprings get citizenship of that country if you declare yourself as a refugee and stay in a camp, not at least in Nepal. But anyways, who is kidding who here, how hard was it, or is it to get a Nepalese citizenship and who hasn't gotten it?

Please save yourself from such hippocrites, unless ofcourse, you yourself are one.

** My previous post got lost somewhere while I was trying to post supposedly because of the damn busy server. I regret if I am not making myself clear this time. **

Ekstrom, the damn jester seems to have tried showing his basic journalism skills by putting forth only what he wanted to read and see, but sadly the rebuttals and the analysis part lacked both: the research and substance. Did you even read all my posts before putting up such lame lines for which the answers were already embedded above??

I tried reading what you posted and then re-read it and again re-read it, but it made no sense...What is it you're trying to say: "Greed and corruption has no room here as he was merely 2 years of age when he was recognized as the 14th Dalai Lama. Would a 2 year old boy ever think about politics and money?? Also, when boys his age were being boys, he lived a life totally submerged into the religious texts." - So, if anybody is given the opportunity as he has been given, wouldn't he/she be decorated with awards and medals just as he has been? And is it not that whatever he has achieved, it is not on the basis of merit and his intelligence and just because he was the lucky or the chosen one?" - I don't even see what you'e getting at here. Are you saying that greatness was thrust upon him and not achieved/earned (sorry for using the Bard's words here)?? If you feel he's been conferred with all the awards for SOLELY being the leader/religious head of the Tibetan people (and not a learned philosopher / theologian), then using your analysis, shouldn't the King of Nepal be awarded a similar Nobel prize for being a reincarnation of Vishnu and the leader of the Nepalese people all over...Hell, why don't we give Jigme Singay Wangchuk the pulitzer? Or even better, lets give the Ayotollah the Raman Magsaysay award and a consolation congressional gold medal in the memory of the late great Haile Selassie.  I am thoroughly amused to see where your rhetoric is coming from.

Next, you write: "We all know that even though The Dalai sees Bush as a warmonger, the sense of compassion is so great within him that he has forgiven him like he'd do to any normal human out there" - First of all, I don't know that, may be you do, but I don't. I also don't know what compassion compells him to forgive Bush and 'Mao' but what I know is he ultimately vanishes deep into the Man Sarobar lake when it comes to asking Bush to take his hands off of Iraq. Even if he does, he is not going to pursue Bush. Does this not make him a politician? Where does his humanity go when he can ask for a free Tibet but not for a free Iraq? - Did you even go through my whole post before posting what you did here, f-lazy?? Its really distressing that you ask for an answer when its was right there in the very next line. Let me quote it back again: "The Dalai did mention that the war in Iraq was not the solution when it started but of course, he had to tone it down a little as the US is among the few nations who has taken in his people amid Chinese pressure, awarded immigation rights and treated them as their own". - Also you're talking about why he doesn't ask for a Free Iraq?? Hell, when has the Dalai Lama ever asked for a Free Tibet to begin with?? All he wants is an autonomous government which Iraq already has (they're in a better shape than his govt. is). The US and the world recognizes the current Iraqi cabinet, but its sad that China and the rest of the world still do not recognize the TGIE.

Finally, you last para to be demolished by the one and only Samsara goes as such: ""Hell, in Nepal even the Tibetans born there are not given citizenships nor any land ownership rights, can you fuggin believe that?? " - Nowhere in the world your offsprings get citizenship of that country if you declare yourself as a refugee and stay in a camp, not at least in Nepal. But anyways, who is kidding who here, how hard was it, or is it to get a Nepalese citizenship and who hasn't gotten it?" - Answer honestly, How long have you lived in Nepal? 20 yrs- 25 yrs? And you still don't know about the greviences the Tibetans go through. I'm talking about the well to do Tibs who still use the citizenship that’s not theirs "legall"y. These kids never lived or grew up in camps so why are they being harassed in getting their citizenships. On a easier research to do, Why don't you talk to your Tibetan friends (if you have any here in the US) and be surprised to find out that most of them have NEVER EVER lived in a camp and are still using citizenships that name them gurung, tamang or whatever. And about camps, who lives in them anymore? Except for the elderly ones, most of them have moved out and yet the ones born outside continue to be harrased in both the govt passport issuing offices and the citizenship offices. Go out there into the great wide open like Tom Petty did and find out from your Tib friends

Next time, could you atleast read before posting your wiseazz comments as it really is a waste of time repeating everything from scratch over and over again. Had to do the same for Sheetalb and then to you?? Man, Where do these jokers come outta??

 

Samsara, I am with you on the issue of Dalai Lama, but as about tibetan youths of today..they are bunch of gangsta wannabe.and thats what I hate the most. Look at all the kids at their parties !! They are a joke !!...and THEY are going to follow their parents dream of Free Tibet ?? Forget about it !!

 

Ha Ha Ha,

You are a funny guy. First of all, I enjoyed the way you set your words up before you substantially start to answer the queries thrust upon you (as you like to put it). I am falling asleep now so I guess I will reply to you some other time.

Have a good night.