What's behind Obama-Dalai Lama meeting?
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Dalai Lama - trick to pursue separatism under religious disguise
The Dalai Lama has all along tried by every means to meet Western politicians, U.S. presidents in particular. But to further his political end, he has put on a religious disguise to win acceptance and favor in the West.
Ted Carpenter said the Dalai Lama's campaign with the West "seems designed to generate international diplomatic pressure for, at the least, a greater-than-now political autonomy for Tibet or even for outright independence from China."
Pierre Picquart said that the Westerners were sometimes so captivated by the Dalai Lama's preaching of "religion" and "freedom" that they took it for granted without looking into his real intention behind.
Swayed by an urge to please the public, Western leaders, more often than not, would make the unwise decision to meet the Dalai Lama, said the French scholar.
The Dalai Lama some times makes undisguised political advocacy while meeting Western politicians though he claimed to be merely a religious figure.
In 1992, for instance, he sent a letter to Bill Clinton, who just sworn in as the U.S. president, overtly trying to enlist his support for "independence of Tibet."
Since the March 14 Lhasa riot in 2008, the Dalai Lama has visited Western countries far more often,trying to woo more Western politicians.
But Ingo Nentwig, a renowned ethnologist from Germany, noted that the international community is becoming more skeptical of the Dalai Lama's political intention, and that more Westerners are getting to know more truth about Tibet-related issues.
As a result, the Dalai Lama has to resort to more PR campaigns to turn the table, said the German ethnologist, who has traveled to Tibet several times to conduct field studies.
"It's like an ad campaign for a sordid product. The campaign perhaps boosts sales for a while, but eventually consumers will find out that they have bought a sham product and will in time turn away from it," he said.
