The Dalai Lama Since his flight into exile in 1959 in the aftermath of the brutally crushed Tibetan uprising, the Dalai Lama has striven to negotiate a political solution with the Chinese government. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his steadfast dedication to non-violence. If the atheist Chinese officials who now govern every aspect of religious life in Tibet pray for anything, it is probably the Dalai Lama´s death. The respect he garners in the international community is a constant thorn in China´s side. The following are a selection of the many speeches the Dalai Lama has given on the situation in Tibet and on human rights generally.

 Recent press reports on statements by the Dalai Lama:

November 2008: WALL STREET JOURNAL: Dalai Lama to call on foreign support for Tibet

November 2008: VOICE OF AMERICA: Dalai Lama says diplomacy with Beijing has failed

November 2008: TIME: Dalai Lama to stay quiet on Tibet's future

November 2008: BLOOMBERG: Dalai Lama says Tibetans must choose strategy for China talks

November 2008: AP: Dalai Lama says situation has worsened in Tibet

October 2008: BBC: Dalai Lama makes China warning

August 2008: AP: Dalai Lama says world should be firm with China

August 2008: REUTERS: Dalai Lama fears Chinese push in Tibet after Games

Links to full statements by the Dalai Lama

 

Five Point Peace Plan

Address by the Dalai Lama to the United States Congress on 21 September 1987.

Strasbourg Proposal

Address to members of the European Parliament by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Strasbourg, 15 June 1988. The Proposal was withdrawn in September 1991.

Embracing the enemy

Address by the Dalai Lama at Yale University, October 1991.

Constitution for the Future Tibet

The Dalai Lama comments on 'Guidelines for Future Tibet's Polity and the Basic Features of its Constitution' which was released in February 1992

United Nations World conference on Human Rights

Speech given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, Austria, June 1993.

Dalai Lama letters

In September 1993, the Dalai Lama published a set of private letters written by him to the Chinese authorities over the previous decade. His introductory commentary to this correspondence revealed increasing frustration at the marked reluctance of Beijing to enter into serious negotiations on the future of Tibet. Representative extracts from the letters themselves are also given.

Tibetan National Uprising, Dharamsala

Statement by the Dalai Lama on the 36^th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising, March 1995.

Accepting the United States Congressional Gold Medal, October 2007

The speech given by the Dalai Lama when he accepted the US Congressional Gold Medal in October 2007.

An appeal to the Chinese people

Appeal from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 28 March 2008.

Dalai Lama congratulates Barack Obama on his election as US President

Letter from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 6 November 2008
Statement preceeding the Dharamsala talks on Tibet's future

An statement made before convening the 'special meeting' on 14 November 2008.

In Tibet, it is illegal for Tibetans to carry pictures of the Dalai Lama, and 'patriotic re-education' programs are common, designed to force monks to denounce their spiritual leader.

China's ongoing campaign to smear the name of the Tibetan spiritual leader is an attempt to undermine the support he has from the Tibetan people, but fifty years after he was forced into exile, Tibetans still stand up and express their desire to see their leader return to Tibet.

Although the Dalai Lama's 'middle way' approach has won him much support in international politics, the Chinese regime continues to label him a 'splittist', and to blame him for orchestrating riots in Tibet.
Click here to read our report on China's anti Dalai Lama campaign.