Dalai Lama Calls for Global Effort on China Democracy
August 13, 2008
"China is very keen to join the world community. The world community has more responsibility to bring China into (the) mainstream of world democracy," the Nobel Peace Prize winner told a news conference in Paris.
He added that the world "must not isolate China."
The Dalai Lama was on a 12-day visit to France, focusing on religion. His plans called for a stop at a Buddhist institute and a temple outside Paris.
Meeting with French lawmakers is scheduled
The Tibetan spiritual leader is spending most of the duration of the Beijing Olympics in France, with only one political event on his schedule. A closed-door meeting with French lawmakers was planned for Wednesday, Aug. 13.
A meeting with President Nicolas Sarkozy was dropped after Beijing warned Sarkozy of "serious consequences" if the two met.
China accuses the Dalai Lama of stirring up unrest in Tibet. Sarkozy is trying to repair ties with China, damaged by his initial threat to boycott the opening of the Olympics and a series of pro-Tibet protests as the torch passed through the French capital.