His Holiness the Dalai Lama Addresses Members of Polish ParliamentFriday, 12 December 2008, 10:12 a.m.

The Speaker of the Senate, Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz, (L) welcome His Holiness the Dalai Lamato the Polish Parliament on Thursday, 11 December 2008.(photo: Bartosz Sadowski)

Warsaw, Poland: His Holiness the Dalai Lama lauded the lawmakers and the people of Poland for their support for Tibet and appealed to them to engage the Chinese government and its people in resolving the issue of Tibet.At invitation of the Speaker of the Polish Senate, Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Polish Parliament on Thursday morning, where he held series of meeting with members of Parliament and reporters.The Speaker of the Polish Senate, Mr. Bogdan Borusewicz, extended a warm welcome to His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the presence of dozens of press photographers. As a good-will gesture, His Holiness presented a Tibetan silk scarf to the speaker.  They met for over an hour and discussed various issues relating to the just cause of Tibet.

His Holiness with the speaker of the Lower House of Parliament,   Mr. Komorowski. (photo: Bartosz Sadowski)

His Holiness thanked the Polish leader for his invitation and informed him that he has been moved by the genuine show of solidarity received from the Polish people throughout his visits to the cities of Gdansk, Krakow, Wroclaw and Warsaw.His Holiness presented him with copies of several documents relating to all the efforts he has made in trying to reach out to the Chinese government in finding a meaningful and mutually beneficial solution to the Tibet issue. Expressing concern that Tibet is facing a “death sentence”, His Holiness called for an international investigation into the real situation inside Tibet under the Chinese government.The speaker informed His Holiness that during his visit to China last year he brought up the issue of Tibet with the Chinese officials.  His Holiness explained that since the Tibetans were not seeking independence, they had the right to demand genuine autonomy with guarantees to preserve the Tibetan culture for all the Tibetans, including those living outside of “TAR”. His Holiness met with the Speaker and Vice Speakers of the Sjem, Lower House of the Parliament, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and members of the Polish Parliamentary Group for Tibet. His Holiness also addressed the members of parliament and the press, hosted jointly by the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Krzysztof Lisek, and the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group for Tibet, Mrs. Beata Bublewicz. 

His Holiness addresses over 5,000 people during a public talk inWarsaw’s Torwar Hall. (photo: Bartosz Sadowski)

Speaking on the Chinese activists call for greater freedoms and an end to China’s one-party rule in their ’08 Charter, His Holiness said the world has a moral responsibility to help the Chinese people in their struggle to bring democracy to China, which could help in solving many of its problems, including the Tibet problem. In the afternoon, His Holiness gave a public talk on topic “Peace, Compassion and Universal Responsibility”. His Holiness underlined the need to develop compassion, with which one can have peace mind to counter negative afflictions such as anger, hatred and jealousy.Summing up His Holiness’ week-long hectic and high profile visit to Gdansk, Krakow, Wroclaw and Warsaw, Mr. Tsering Tashi, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama responsible for Northern Europe, Poland and the Baltic Countries, said that the warm reception that His Holiness received from the Polish people, officials and government leaders, in all these cities is difficult to describe in a few words.“It was incredible to see how the visit organisers in all these cities either actually shed tears or were visibly moved when it was time to bid farewell to His Holiness.  It was also extraordinary to see smiles even journalists moved after their interactions with His Holiness and requesting His Holiness to take photos with them”, Mr. Tashi said.Before leaving Warsaw for Delhi on Friday morning, His Holiness will meet the Polish Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection, followed by an audience for the small Tibetan community and representatives of different Tibet support groups in Poland.