China’s communist authorities today protested the contributions of Dalai Lama and exiled Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer to a Prague conference on human rights and democracy in Asia.
“We have expressed our view that we are against the visit (of Kadeer) because its aim is to promote her separatist views,” a Chinese Embassy spokesman said.
The Dalai Lama and Kadeer will speak at Friday’s “Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia” conference organized by the Forum 2000 Foundation, an initiative of former Czech President Vaclav Havel.
The Dalai Lama dismissed Beijing’s charges against Kadeer who he said, “totally agrees with our way, strictly nonviolent way.” “She also prefers a meaningful autonomy, not separation.”
He called on Western democracies to support democratization in Asia because freedom or expression and political participation are universal values.
Other participants at the conference include Paula Dobriansky, former U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs; Iranian dissident and intellectual Ramin Jahanbegloo; Khin Ohmar, a founding member of the Women’s League of Burma; Vietnamese human rights activist and dissident Doan Viet Hoat, and Robert Menard, former Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders.
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