VOA News: Dalai Lama receives Congressional Gold Medal

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has received the highest civilian honor the U.S. Congress can bestow, despite strong protests from Beijing.

The 72-year-old Buddhist monk was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

In remarks to hundreds of people assembled there, he thanked Americans for their unwavering support for the Tibetan people. He said the congressional award will send a powerful message to those promoting peace, understanding and harmony.

China condemned the ceremony as a farce. In protest, it pulled out of U.S.-sponsored international talks this week on Iran's nuclear program.

In his remarks, the Dalai Lama reiterated his desire for the Tibetan people to have meaningful autonomy within China. He said he hopes the relationship between Tibet and Beijing will move beyond mistrust to one based on trust and common interests.

Before the presentation, President Bush, congressional leaders and fellow Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel paid tribute to the Dalai Lama. Mr. Bush called him a man of peace and reconciliation [well, we can at least agree on one thing!], and urged Chinese leaders to welcome the Tibetan leader to Beijing.

The Dalai Lama met privately with President Bush at the White House Tuesday. In an interview with VOA Mandarin service, the Dalai Lama said he briefed the president about the situation in Tibet and thanked him for his concern and support.

Last month, Beijing canceled annual human rights talks with Germany that were to be held in December after German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with the Dalai Lama.

Congress formally approved the Congressional Gold Medal for the Dalai Lama more a year ago, in recognition of what a resolution called his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, non-violence, human rights and religious understanding.