by Kate Wentworth

LONDON: Thubten Samdup, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Northern Europe, the Baltic and Poland met the Rt Hon Grant Shapps PC, MP on November 15. Mr Shapps is Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield and Chairman of the Ruling Conservative Party of Brtain. The meeting took place at Mr Shapps’ constituency office in Hatfield and was arranged by Kate Wentworth. Her husband, Stephen Wentworth, was also present.

Thubten Samdup explained that the profound wish of His Holiness is that the Chinese authorities should enable the people of Tibet to sustain their spiritual customs, practice and heritage while remaining part of the People’s Republic of China.  His Holiness has consistently been saying he has no wish to promote the cause for independence.  These wishes are fully in accord with the Chinese constitution.  There is no benefit to China in the oppressive measures that cause much suffering in Tibet.  All that is asked is for the constitution to be applied correctly.

At present younger Tibetans are protesting peacefully; but sadly the peaceful protests involve self-immolation – 123 since 2009.  His Holiness is deeply committed to peace and non-violence. It would be in everyone’s interest for China to act to remove the causes of the protests and to enable Tibet to occupy a harmonious place in the People’s Republic.

Thubten Samdup said he hoped that the UK authorities, including the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, would take every opportunity to press the Chinese to conform to high standards of human rights.  This is an obligation which the Chinese need to take even more seriously following their re-election to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Mr Shapps gave an assurance that UK Ministers consistently raise the issue of respect for human rights in Tibet when they meet with the Chinese.  The Foreign Secretary had recently emphasised this in a note to Cabinet colleagues.  The same point was also made in a letter of 6 November from Hugo Swire, MP, Minister of State at the Foreign Office, responding to a letter from Kate Wentworth.

At the conclusion of the meeting Thubten Samdup presented Mr Shapps with a book Beyond Religion and a khatak, a Tibetan traditional ceremonial scarf symbolising purity and compassion.