Likewise, NTC hopes that the meeting can help the authorities in other countries do not allow themselves to be pressured to refrain from meeting the Dalai Lama.

For Tibet, this meeting came at a critical time; after nine rounds of talks between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and Chinese officials, a breakthrough is urgently needed, one that could be created if President Obama were to facilitate a direct meeting between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and China’s President, Hu Jintao.

Genuine autonomy
NTC looks at this meeting as a golden opportunity for President Obama and the Dalai Lama to discuss how the United States and the international community can contribute to a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue.

During the eighth round of dialogue that was in October 2008, the Dalai Lama’s envoys presented a “Memorandum for genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people“. They followed this with a note in the ninth round of dialogue this year, 2010. Dalai Lama wants all Tibetans to achieve the autonomous rights that are enshrined in the Chinese constitution. Memorandum and the note is an expression of the Dalai Lama’s “Middle Way approach” which aims to achieve mutually acceptable and beneficial solutions.

This was the first meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama after Obama received the Peace Prize last year, 2009, 20 years after the Dalai Lama received his Nobel Peace Prize. Since both now have the peace prize, it is expected that they also took up global issues.

Letter to Obama
The Norwegian Tibet Committee also urged everybody to write a message to the US President asking him to take action against the Chinese oppression of Tibet and its people and culture, on the webpage of “I love Tibet” campaign.

According to the campaign initiators, “thousands of people who love Tibet sent messages to the President prior to his meeting with His Holiness. It’s not too late to join the campaign”.

“I love Tibet” initiators are inviting people to write a message to President Obama,  asking him to follow up the meeting by doing everything in his power to bring about a meeting between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and China’s President, Hu Jintao. You can do it here.

Click here to read the statement issued by the White House about the Dalai Lama’s meeting with President Obama.

Contacts

Olav Gunnar Ballo, Mobile phone: 00 47 99268883
Chungdak Koren, Mobile phone: 00 47 95024443