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Canada PM defies China, meets Dalai Lama
Ottawa, Apr 24: Canada`s Prime Minister Paul Martin has defied China`s angry protests, and made history by meeting Tibet`s exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Ottawa, Apr 24: Canada's Prime Minister Paul Martin has defied China's angry protests, and made history by meeting Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Martin became the first Canadian Prime Minister to meet the 1989 Nobel Prize winner yesterday, a day after he was accused by domestic critics of "kowtowing" to china by
downplaying the political dimension of the talks.
"It was an excellent meeting," martin told reporters after leaving the meeting, conducted at the neutral "spiritual" venue of the residence of Ottawa's Roman Catholic Archbishop. "We discussed a lot of subjects in a short period of time: the world situation, the question of human rights, the rights of people in Tibet," he said.
Martin also said that he discussed a recent spate of anti-semitic crimes in Montreal and Toronto with his guest.
"I think the Dalai Lama's message to Canada is very, very important," he said.
"We have always been a nation of great mutual respect and understanding," he said. "For the Dalai Lama to come and remind us of that fundamental value is very, very important."
The Dalai Lama left the meeting without commenting.
Domestic politicians, however, have accused martin of bowing to intimidation.
China's fury led some observers here to fear that vital Canadian trade ties with the communist giant could suffer some reprisals over the meetings.
Bureau Report
"It was an excellent meeting," martin told reporters after leaving the meeting, conducted at the neutral "spiritual" venue of the residence of Ottawa's Roman Catholic Archbishop. "We discussed a lot of subjects in a short period of time: the world situation, the question of human rights, the rights of people in Tibet," he said.
Martin also said that he discussed a recent spate of anti-semitic crimes in Montreal and Toronto with his guest.
"I think the Dalai Lama's message to Canada is very, very important," he said.
"We have always been a nation of great mutual respect and understanding," he said. "For the Dalai Lama to come and remind us of that fundamental value is very, very important."
The Dalai Lama left the meeting without commenting.
Domestic politicians, however, have accused martin of bowing to intimidation.
China's fury led some observers here to fear that vital Canadian trade ties with the communist giant could suffer some reprisals over the meetings.
Bureau Report