Obama supports Dalai Lama’s cause; to discuss Human Rights with China
| November 10th, 2009 | By: Piyush Goyal | Category: World
Washington: President Barack Obama intends to discuss human rights, religious freedom and democratic values when he meets with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing next week, a senior White House official said.
“The president will raise human rights concerns directly, directly with President Hu,” said Jeffrey Bader, senior director for East Asian affairs at the president’s National Security Council.
Bader made the comments during a telephone conference call today with reporters about Obama’s first trip to Asia as president, which begins Nov. 12.
“I wouldn’t want to forecast exactly what he would say at this stage, but the kinds of issues that are on our minds are issues of freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of religion, rule of law, and certainly Tibet,” Bader said.
Obama was criticized by some human rights activists after declining to meet with the Dalai Lama when the Tibetan spiritual leader was in Washington in October to receive a congressional human rights award.
In an interview today with Reuters, Obama rejected criticism that he is giving short shrift to human rights.
“I don’t find the critics credible,” he said. “If you look at my statements, they have been entirely consistent. We believe in the values of freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, that are not just core American values but we believe are universal values.”
Asia Visit
White House adviser Valerie Jarrett in September said Obama would meet with the Dalai Lama after the president’s November trip to Asia, a commitment Bader reiterated.
China has criticized states that allow visits by the Dalai Lama, who Beijing regards as a separatist leader seeking to divide the country.
Obama’s eight-day trip through Asia includes stops in Tokyo, Singapore, Shanghai and Seoul, as well as Beijing.
In Beijing, he is scheduled to have dinner with Hu on Nov. 16 and to meet with him on Nov. 17 before the Chinese hold a state dinner for Obama that night.
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