Kiwiblog

I presume Phil Goff will be refusing to meet with the Dalai Llama in future. In fact according to one of his MPs, the Dalai Llama is an evil torturing dictator. Raymond Huo blogged:

China established what is now known as Tibetan Autonomous Region in the early 1950s, which put an end to the notoriously cruel system of serfdom on Tibet.

There are two versions of the Dalai Lama. For those of his followers his Holiness is a saint. For others, he is viewed as the leader who supported a system of slavery in Tibet which the Chinese authorities put an end to in the 1950s.

What Westerners do not know, or do not want to know, as argued by the other party, is what level of cruelty the Theocratic Serfdom under Dalai Lama had to offer. An exhibition in New Lynn in 2009 displayed:

• Tibetan Lamaism instruments for worship ceremony made by human parts including human skin drum and a necklace made of finger bones,

• A “gandong” (a flute made of human leg bone)

• Skin from serfs (including children) for religious purpose

• Serf’s eyes gouged out for punishment

What an evil man the Dalai Llama is. I am surprised Raymond is not calling for him to be prosecuted in the International Court of Justice.

As Danyl points out:

How fortunate the people of Tibet were to be liberated from their cruel rulers and taken under the wise and benevolent protection of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, who then went on to kill over a million Tibetans through various purges and famines, replacing the dead with ethnic Han Chinese migrants who now rule Tibet as an apartheid regime.

(The current Dalai Lama was fifteen at the time of the Chinese invasion. He’s subsequently been a harsh critic of the feudal society of pre-occupation Tibet.)

I would also point out that while I am not exactly a devoted fan of the Dalai Llama, he has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Yeah I know Obama has won it also, but back in 1989 it actually was meaningful. He also have been given 100 or so honours and awards from various governments.

Now to be fair to Labour, other MPs have disagreed with Raymond Huo in the comments on the post. But it is still extraordinary to see a New Zealand MP repeat such propaganda.

The Dom Post reports:

The Dalai Lama met with opposition leader Phil Goff after arriving in New Zealand with a flurry of diplomatic protocol hanging over him.

It is disappointing that John Key would not meet with the Dalai Llama, just to keep China happy. I think we should trade with China but not let them decide who we allow into New Zealand and meet with.

Mr Goff said that, if he was prime minister, he would still meet the Dalai Lama.

“I met with him when I was foreign minister, I don’t see any difference whether I’m a member of the executive or a leader of the Opposition. I’m meeting with him in his capacity as a spiritual and cultural leader and as a very nice person.”

Full credit to Goff for doing the right thing, and may it continue if he does ever achieve the top job.

The Dominion Post reports:

Prime Minister John Key says he will not meet the Dalai Lama when he visits New Zealand next month.

The decision goes against Mr Key’s previous statements that he would meet the Tibetan spiritual leader if his diary permitted, but he denied it had been made after pressure from China.

“The reason simply is I’ve decided that I wouldn’t get a lot out of that particular meeting. I don’t see every religious leader that comes to town. I’ve seen him in the past, I may see him in the future.” …

He said the issue was not raised by Chinese president Hu Jintao during the Apec summit in Singapore at the weekend, and no other Chinese government agency had asked for a meeting not to proceed.

This is an appalling decision.It is bad enough China oppresses its own citizens, but even worse when the NZ Government effectively practises self-censorship so not to offend them.

Even worse is that this encourages China to carry on trying to dictate whom other countries can or can not meet. Just as the response to the Danish cartoons threats should have been every paper in the world publishing them, the response to China’s threats (and the are well known even if not repeated directly to the PM) over the Dalai Llama should be a policy to make sure one always meets with him.

One has to make the attempt to censor, counter-productive. That is the only way that they may learn and stop one day.

Again, this is an appalling decision.

The Herald reports:

An umbrella group representing 28 local Chinese organisations wants the Government to follow South Africa’s lead in refusing to grant the Dalai Lama a visa to visit. …

The Dalai Lama was to visit South Africa last week after being invited to attend a peace conference of Nobel laureates, but was refused a visa.

The United Chinese Association of New Zealand will be writing to the Prime Minister and Immigration Minister requesting that New Zealand does the same.

The South African government admitted its decision was taken to avoid harming relations with China.

I find it disappointing that any group of New Zealanders would call on the state to ban someone from visiting just because they don’t like what that person says.

The Herald reports:

Prime Minister John Key has said he will meet the Dalai Lama when he comes to New Zealand next year – one week after China retaliated against the French president for doing the same.

The Dalai Lama will be visiting Auckland on December 6 next year to speak at Vector Arena and lead a session on Buddhist teachings.

“The Prime Minister will treat the Dalai Lama in the same way as any other significant visitor, and will meet the Dalai Lama should his diary permit,” said a spokesman for Mr Key.

Good. We can not have a foreign country dictate who our PM can or can not meet.

The Hive has some advice for China.  And it is pretty good advice. Queen Bee is not a huge fan it seems of the Dalai Lama and the former feudal Tibet, but the Chinese response is so over the top, it damages them greatly. So the Hive suggests:

• fire the Editor of The People’s Daily;
• fire who ever it was who led the response on the ground to the demonstrations in Tibet;
• make all those arrested and who were guilty of property damage do some community service to make amends;
• release those who protested but did not damage property;
• don’t execute anyone, but feel free to otherwise throw the book at anyone guilty of physical assault;
• ask the Dalai Lama to show a bit more restraint and offer to send an envoy to meet him in a neutral location to ensure his concerns are discussed;
• allow tourists to return to Tibet immediately;
• ask your Embassies and Consulates abroad to write Op Eds to all local newspapers reminding people what life in feudal Tibet was like (particularly for the slaves) before Deng Xiaoping moved in from Sichuan to liberate Tibet;
• invite any Foreign Minister who wants to, to visit Tibet this year;
• allow the foreign media (not just Hong Kong media) immediate access to Tibet.

Not bad advice.