Home > News Archive > Estonian leadership refuses to meet Dalai Lama

Estonian leadership refuses to meet Dalai Lama

Baltic Times

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama delivers a talk for world peace in front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on 9 July 2011.File photo/AFP/Getty Images/Nicholas Kamm/US

Estonia’s top leadership has said that they will not meet with the Dalai Lama during the religious leader’s high-profile visit later this month.

In his third visit to Estonia, lasting from 16 to 18 August, the Dalai Lama will meet with four ministers, all hailing from the IRL [Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit, Estonian Liberal Conservative political party]. Speaker of Parliament Ene Ergma and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip have said they will not take part, while there is as of yet no word from President Toomas Hendrick Ilves.

A movement called Friends of Tibet had called on leaders to show their support for the Dalai Lama.

“Today, as a full member of a Europe that defends human rights, it is time to show that we are free and not afraid to say: The power of money or weapons can never justify ignoring human rights, oppressing people or committing atrocities,” the movement said in a press release.

Those ministers who will meet the Dalai Lama include Mart Laar, Ken-Marti Vaher, Juhan Parts and Jaak Aaviksoo.

Earlier this year the Dalai Lama announced that he would officially give up his political powers, passing on leadership of the movement to free Tibet to a younger generation. He remains the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism.

Copyright © 2011 Baltic News Ltd

Published in The Baltic Times