Cablegate: Media Reaction: Dalai Lama

VZCZCXYZ0010
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHIN #0197 0560951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 250951Z FEB 10
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3394
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 9707
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1093

UNCLAS AIT TAIPEI 000197

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR INR/R/MR, EAP/TC, EAP/P, EAP/PD - THOMAS HAMM
DEPARTMENT PASS AIT/WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO TW
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: DALAI LAMA

Summary: Taiwan's major Chinese-language dailies focused February
25 news coverage on this year's College Entrance Examinations
results; on Saturday's legislative by-elections; and on the
resignation of a KMT staffer amid allegations of sexual harassment
and other controversies. In terms of editorials and commentaries,
an editorial in the pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News"
discussed U.S. President Barack Obama's recent meeting with the
Dalai Lama and said it was "a direct consequence of Beijing's own
shameful behavior toward the Dalai Lama and its criminal and bloody
suppression of human rights in Tibet and the rest of the PRC." End
summary.

"What Taiwan Can Learn from Obama-Dalai Meeting"

The pro-independence, English-language "Taiwan News" [circulation:
20,000] editorialized (2/25):

"... Indeed, besides showing Washington's unwillingness to dance to
Beijing's tune, Obama's decisions to meet with the Dalai Lama, allow
the Tibetan leader meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
numerous congressional leaders, and hold a public news conference at
the National Endowment for Democracy, was a direct consequence of
Beijing's own shameful behavior toward the Dalai Lama and its
criminal and bloody suppression of human rights in Tibet and the
rest of the PRC. The Dalai Lama also fully realizes that to secure
the support of the United States for the cause of Tibetan freedom
the most important arena is not the White House but Congress and the
most critical audience is the American people and therefore
endeavored explained his views on non-violence and Buddhism and the
importance of Tibetan culture to the widest possible audience during
his whirlwind visit.

"The decision by the PRC authorities to respond to the Dalai Lama's
moderation with curses, insults and slanders was surely sufficient
to show American citizens and politicians just who has taken on the
role of the Devil in the Sino-Tibetan conundrum. The majority of
Taiwan's 23 million people are also clear on this point. ...
President Ma would do himself no harm by seriously studying the
Dalai Lama's style of leadership and his sense of humor instead of
attempting to learn containment and terror from Hu Jintao or
continuing to kowtow to the Beijing authorities."

STANTON

© Scoop Media