Reportage – 2008

Nancy Pelosi visits McLeod Ganj

MCLEOD GANJ, India, 21 March 2008 — The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arrives with the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama, to hold a press conference. Showing her solidarity with the Tibetan cuase, especially the recent unrest in Tibet, she said the Tibetan issue is a challenge to the conscience of the world. [ click here for print size   4.1M ]

MCLEOD GANJ, India, 21 March 2008 — A Tibetan monk during the welcome reception of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi to Dharamshala. After meeting the Dalai Lama she said she stands in solidarity with the Tibetan cause, especially the recent unrest in Tibet, and said the Tibetan issue is a challenge to the conscience of the world. [ click here for print size   2.8M ]

MCLEOD GANJ, India, 21 March 2008 — The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, arriving with the Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama to a press conference. Showing her solidarity with the Tibetan cause, especially the recent unrest in Tibet, she said the Tibetan issue is a challenge to the conscience of the world. Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile, Samdhong Rinpoche is seen on her left. [ click here for print size   3.2M ]

MCLEOD GANJ, India, 21 March 2008 — Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, met the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala and expressed her support to the Tibetan cause.

Expressing her solidarity with the Tibetan cause, Pelosi said that the situation of Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world, and that if the world doesn't speak for Tibet today, it loses all moral ground to speak of human rights.

"If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China s oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world," Pelosi said

She criticised the Chinese accusation of the Dalai Lama for inciting the recent riots in Tibet and called for an international probe of the recent unrests in Tibet.

Thousands of Tibetans in Dharamshala gathered at the Tsug la khang temple court yard to greet Pelosi and the congressional delegation that she was leading, as they arrived to meet the Dalai Lama.

The visit was planned well before the recent protests in Tibet against the Chinese rule that turned violent last week in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, sparking a brutal crackdown by Chinese forces. Tibetan sources say about 100 Tibetans have been killed, whereas the Chinese authorities put the figure at 13.

The Dalai Lama said Pelosi finally fulfilled her long-time promise to visit Dharamshala. The two met the last time in October in Washington DC when the Dalai Lama was conferred the US Congressional Gold Medal.

"Perhaps it's our karma, to be with you at such a sad time. To help the people of Tibet," Pelosi said.

"Today we are here at this sad time together in shedding the bright light of truth on what is happening inside Tibet," she said. "We insist the world know what the truth is inside Tibet."