Subject: From TRANSNATIONAL - Satyagraha - 20 June 1994 - No. 4
X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0 -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment: The Transnational Radical Party List
Fortnightly Newsletter of the Radical Party
ITALY WELCOMES THE DALAI LAMA
It took a visit to Italy for His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be received by
the Head of State and Prime Minister of a country, for the first time.
And it was also the first time that he was the guest of a political party:
the Radical Party that organized all the political meetings he attended
during his visit to Italy.
At 6.00p.m. on 16 June the President of the Italian Republic Oscar Luigi
Scalfaro received His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Right Honourable Emma
Bonino at the Quirinal. During the meeting, Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth
Dalai Lama who won the Nobel Peace Prize in '89, explained how he had been
seeking to establish a dialogue with Chinese authorities for years.
He acknowledged that this was still a difficult task, adding that he firmly
believed totalitarian regimes were destined to perish and this gave him
hope for a better future.
The Dalai Lama pointed out that the political basis on which he is trying
to reach an understanding with China does not focus on Tibet's
independence. "I have not used the word 'independence' for fourteen
years." he declared.
He is simply asking that the Chinese respect the autonomy, human rights and
religious, linguistic and cultural freedom of the six million Tibetans whom
he represents. In the opinion of His Holiness, the ideal political solution
would be a single nation comprising two States.
The meeting ended on a warm note and President Scalfaro declared that the
Tibetan cause was also one that he himself embraced.
At 2.00p.m. on 17 June, it was the turn of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi
to receive the Dalai Lama and Emma Bonino at Palazzo Chigi. Mr. Tashi
Wangdi, Minister of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan
Government in exile, was also present. Prime Minister Berlusconi reminded
everyone that whenever the question of Tibet is raised the international
community finds itself having to choose between maintaining good trade
relations with China or upholding human rights. However, he was pleased to
sum up by acknowledging that his meeting with the Dalai Lama underscored
Italy's important commitment to the defence of human rights, tolerance and
dialogue.
The Dalai Lama's next stop was the Radical Party Headquarters where he was
greeted by many celebrities from the world of culture and entertainment, as
well as a large crowd of journalists and supporters.Emma Bonino opened the
press conference by warmly welcoming the Dalai Lama, whom she sees as a
political and spiritual symbol of nonviolence. She then recalled the many
acts of friendship which, in the past, had bound the Radical Party to the
Tibetan cause; friendship that she declared was made possible by the
Preamble of the Statute of the Radical Party, which draws its inspiration
from nonviolent methods; and by the transnational nature of the Party's
political campaigns.
Bonino, Secretary of the Radical Party, also declared that the Dalai Lama's
fear that Tibet could become the new Yugoslavia caused her great concern.
Regarding this, she confirmed her commitment to the instituion by the UN of
the International Court for crimes against humanity that would exclude the
death penalty in any case.
The Dalai Lama also met with Marco Pannella, to whom he presented a long
white scarf symbolizing friendship, and also the desire that their
friendship might last for a very long time.
