PARALLEL LIVES : THE DALAI LAMA AND ANDREI SAKHAROV

By Mario Soares and - - Reprint | | Print |

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LISBON, Mar 27 2008 (IPS) - The Dalai Lama has returned to centre stage because of the recent and now quelled uprising of the Tibetans against Chinese domination and the brutal response of the government in Beijing. This was a grave error on China\’s part, to say the least, just as it is preparing to host the 2008 Olympic games, writes Mario Soares, ex- president and ex-prime minister of Portugal. In this article , Soares writes that the Dalai Lama responded from Dharamsala, his place of exile, with his customary firmness, accusing China of \’\’cultural genocide\’\’, an expression that has succeeded in stirring consciences across the planet. The rhetorical response of the Beijing government was to accuse him of provoking the riots in the hope of creating difficulties for China. The Dalai Lama calmly responded that as a pacifist he does not believe that the problem of Tibet can be solved with force, but rather through dialogue. Watching the Dalai Lama speak these words on television, I was reminded of an experience I had when I visited political dissident Andrei Sakharov, another Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1975), during an official visit I made as President of Portugal to what was still the Soviet Union. After I signalled to him that there were probably hidden microphones in the room where we met, he answered calmly, \’\’It doesn\’t matter, they know everything that I think. We\’re already used to it.\’\’ Afterwards we spoke freely about everything we wished. The brutal intimidation and force had no effect on the civic conscience of Sakharov.

Since then I have felt an intense admiration for this singular and exceptionally affable person whom the international community honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 and whom many Tibetans believe to be of divine nature.

The Dalai Lama has crisscrossed the world defending the identity of his people. Behind his genuine simplicity and modesty, this great man hides a will of steel and a serene intelligence built over years of fighting for control over himself and placed entirely at the service of his land and his people. In Biblical terms his struggle is like that of David against Goliath.

The Dalai Lama has returned to centre stage because of the recent and now quelled uprising of the Tibetans against Chinese domination and the brutal response of the government in Beijing. This was a grave error on China’s part, to say the least, just as it is preparing to host the 2008 Olympic games.

The Dalai Lama responded from Dharamsala, his place of exile, with his customary firmness, accusing China of ”cultural genocide”, an expression that has succeeded in stirring consciences across the planet. The rhetorical response of the Beijing government was to accuse him of provoking the riots in the hope of creating difficulties for China to hold the Olympics. The Dalai Lama calmly responded that as a pacifist he does not believe that the problem of Tibet can be solved with force but rather through dialogue, an opinion that is not shared by the extremist sector of the Tibetan opposition. And he argued ironically that he even hopes that the Olympics take place in Beijing as planned and are a success, ”out of respect for the Chinese people and what this might mean for their desire for freedom.”

Watching the Dalai Lama speak these words on television, I was reminded of an experience I had when I wanted to visit political dissident Andrei Sakharov, another Nobel Peace Prize laureate (1975), during an official visit I made as President of Portugal to what was still the Soviet Union in the days of Mikhail Gorbachev and perestroika. Soviet protocol placed every possible obstacle in my path to block the visit, but I insisted and threatened to call short my trip, and finally I was given permission, and one cold Moscow morning a car from the Portuguese embassy left to pick up Sakharov and bring him to have a coffee with me.

When I arrived early for this appointment, I found that the embassy had been shut by the Soviet police with a security crew so imposing and massive that the embassy personnel, largely domestic and secretarial staff and almost all Russians, were shaking with fear. Even the adjoining streets and neighbourhood were under surveillance.

Shortly after, the car carrying Sakharov and his wife Yelena Bronner arrived. He was a tall man, calm, with clear blue eyes. I had the feeling that a shaft of light had pierced the gloom of the frigid Russian morning. As he entered the room where we were to meet, I signalled him that there were probably hidden microphones. He answered calmly, ”It doesn’t matter, they know everything that I think. We’re already used to it.” Afterwards we spoke freely about everything we wished. The brutal intimidation and force had no effect on the civic conscience of Sakharov. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)