01 June 2006
Tutu urges China to give Tibet "rightful autonomy"
(Reuters) Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu called on China to grant Tibet its "rightful autonomy" after years of rule by Beijing. Tutu said China was an emerging "potential" superpower and urged it to be a "superpower of morality". "I want to call on the president and the government of China: please do the right thing", he said at a ceremony in Brussels, where he received an award from the Dalai Lama. "His Holiness and the people of Tibet are on the winning side. One day ... they will be free", he said. The Dalai Lama thanked Tutu for his backing. "The way he has expressed his support is something that is very important for us and it gave us some courage", he said. The Dalai Lama presented the "Light of Truth" award from the International Campaign for Tibet to Tutu and the Hergé Foundation, which honours Georges Rémi, the creator of Belgian comic book character Tintin. The book "Tintin in Tibet" had made it possible for many people to learn about his country, the Dalai Lama said. While in Brussels the Dalai Lama also updated European Union lawmakers and Belgian ministers on the progress of the negotiations between Tibet's government-in-exile and China.