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France’s capital makes Tibet’s Dalai Lama a citizen of Paris

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

France’s capital makes Tibet’s Dalai Lama a citizen of Paris

France’s capital has given Tibetan religious leader the Dalai Lama an honorary citizenship of Paris, in spite of continued anti-French protests in China.

The Paris city council voted in favour of honouring the Dalai Lama, and mayor Bertrand Delanoe described him as "a champion of peace", however, the party of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, disagreed with the move because they are hoping to improve relations again with China in the wake of the protests.

Chinese demonstrators have been calling for a boycott of French supermarket Carrefour, because they say it supports the Dalai Lama, whom Beijing has accused of inciting unrest in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama, who has been living as an exile in India, claims he has no political role and says he had nothing to do with the protests by Tibetan Buddhist monks that took place in Lhasa last month.

Paris mayor Delanoe said that by honouring the Dalai Lama, Paris aimed "to show its support for the people of Tibet who are defending their most basic right to dignity, freedom and simply life".

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