Dalai Lama frustrated over Beijing's lies and hypocrisy

Washington, June 11 (ANI): Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has expressed frustration over Beijing's lies and hypocrisy during his recent European tour.

The visit that ended in Paris on Monday saw the Tibetan leader offering a new and more urgent plea for help as well as a break with decades of a "turn the other cheek" policy, The Christian Science Monitor reports.

The change in stance comes amid a Chinese crackdown in Tibet that began last year over broad dissatisfaction among Tibetans with Chinese policy, and an uprising among monks.

Several European cities have made the Dalai Lama an honorary citizen despite him not being welcomed in Lhasa.

Rome and Venice gave him the title in February. He is expected to be given the keys to the City of Warsaw in July. On Sunday, he became an honorary citizen of Paris.

Tibetan advocacy groups are quietly dismayed over a lack of a unified and consistent European policy. In 2007, the Dalai Lama in polls was ranked as the most respected world leader in Europe, The CSM reports.

He has since fallen to third place being bumped from the top spot by US President Barack Obama. (German Chancellor Angela Merkel is No. 2.)

Despite the warm welcome in Europe, an intense campaign by China to isolate and vilify the Dalai Lama has seemingly spooked many European politicians.

During his recent Europe tour, the spiritual leader gave talks on "Compassion in Turbulent Times" to large gatherings. Speaking to the press, however, he bluntly decried conditions in Tibet as a "hell on earth," and spoke of official Chinese cruelty.

Yet, with reporters asking about Tibet and China, he offered that: "'I am getting old, and the Chinese are especially preoccupied with that! They are awaiting my death.... I have little hope of reaching a negotiated solution with the Chinese government."

"My trust in that government is very thin, because the whole communist political system is based on lies and hypocrisy. The local authorities lie to the regional leaders, who lie to Beijing, who then broadcasts those lies to the rest of the world!" (ANI)