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Dalai Lama Honored in Washington With Human Rights Award

By VOA News
06 October 2009

The Dalai Lama has received an award in Washington honoring his work for human rights around the world.

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, presented the Dalai Lama with the first-ever Lantos Human Rights Prize on Tuesday. The award is from the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice.

Pelosi said the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has fought for human rights with courage, passion and humility.

Senator John McCain said the Dalai Lama is an example of moral leadership for serving a cause greater than himself.

The award was established in honor of the late U.S. House Representative Tom Lantos, who was a key supporter of Tibetan rights and instrumental in inviting the Dalai Lama to speak before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in 1987.

At Tuesday's event in the U.S. Capitol building, the spiritual leader said it is a privilege to receive an award named for his friend who worked to promote human rights.

As part of a five-day visit to Washington, the Dalai Lama is scheduled to meet with the State Department's new coordinator for Tibetan issues, but not U.S. President Barack Obama.

Supporters of the Dalai Lama have said they consider the lack of a presidential meeting a slight by the Obama administration, which is trying to improve relations with China.

But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said it was mutually agreed that the president and Dalai Lama would meet later in the year, after a U.S.-China summit in November. Gibbs said Tuesday that Tibet benefits from a strong relationship between the United States and China, saying such ties allow Washington to talk to Beijing about the cares and concerns of the Tibetan people.

The spiritual leader's top envoy, Lodi Gyari, said Monday the Dalai Lama hopes a cooperative U.S.-Chinese relationship will help support Tibet's interests.

This is the first time since 1991 that the Dalai Lama will be in Washington and not meet with the U.S. president.

The Chinese government considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and often takes retaliatory action against countries whose leaders meet with the exiled leader.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.