His Holiness wraps up visit, says 21st Century should be of dialogue
Tuesday, 20 May 2008, 10:30 a.m.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivers a speech during rally at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, 19 May 2008 (REUTERS/Johannes Eisele) |
Dharamshala: His Holiness the
Dalai Lama concluded his 5-day visit to Germany on Monday with an
address to a large gathering in the heart of the capital at Brandenburg
Gate – a symbol of a reunited Germany.
Calling for dialogue as a means to end violence, His Holiness
said: “The 20th century was the century of bloodshed. I say the 21st
century should be one of dialogue.”
“(This is) the very place the Berlin Wall disappeared, not by
force, but by a popular peace movement,” His Holiness said, adding, “So
I really feel (there is) something very significant (in this).”
The Tibetan’s supreme spiritual and temporal leader said: “We
are not seeking separation.” “Tibet is a poor country, materially very
backward,” His Holiness said, noting that the “average Tibetan” wanted
to live in a more modern society.
For this reason, His Holiness said it was important that Tibet remain part of China so it could profit from its booming economy.
“We get maximum benefit, provided (there is) autonomy. That is the safeguard of Tibet’s unique cultural heritage.”
His Holiness meets with Germany’s development minister Wieczorek-Zeul on Monday, 19 May 2008/AP |
Earlier in the day, His Holiness met with Germany’s
development minister Wieczorek-Zeul and the foreign affairs committee
of parliament.
The minister said they had a frank discussion Monday about Tibetan autonomy and Chinese rule, Agence France-Presse reported.
“I took advantage of the opportunity to let the Dalai Lama
inform me about the situation in Tibet, based on his point of view,”
AFP quoted her as saying. “Of course, we discussed the necessity for
cultural autonomy in this context, as well as about the dialogue
between the Chinese government and representatives of the Dalai Lama.”
Merkel’s spokesman, Thomas Steg, told reporters that Merkel,
who is on a seven-day tour of Latin America, was not involved in
Wieczorek-Zeul’s decision to hold talks with His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, but was in no way opposed to it.”
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will now proceed to the United
Kingdom for a 11-day visit from 20 to 31 May 2008, to give a series of
public talks and teachings in London, Nottingham and Oxford.
–Compiled from courtesies of Reuters and AFP
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