22 May 2008

Barrett welcomes Dalai Lama to Westminster

John Barrett, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today called on Gordon Brown to take a tougher stance with China over the future of Tibet after the Edinburgh West MP met with the Dalai Lama at the House of Common.

After the meeting, John Barrett said: 

“It was an honour and a privilege to welcome the Dalai Lama to the Houses of Parliament.

“The Dalai Lama remains the best hope of securing a peaceful settlement with the Tibetan people. Britain should be clear in its support for a negotiated autonomy for Tibet, yet this requires a level of political engagement that Gordon Brown appears unable or unwilling to deliver.

“Our Government should be robustly calling on China to agree to structured and timetabled negotiations on Tibet – Instead, the Prime Minister is wasting the opportunity to pressure China to honour the spirit of the Olympic Charter.

“Gordon Brown should not attend any Olympic ceremonies until China re-opens Tibet to the foreign media in line with its commitment to the International Olympic Committee.”