The Ugly Chinaman

China labels Dalai Lama a supporter of "cults" - Yahoo! News: "In a lengthy signed commentary in English carried by the official Xinhua news agency, the piece said the Dalai Lama 'not only has no hatred toward evil cults but instead shows a great deal of compassion for them.' The Dalai Lama supported Shoko Asahara and his Aum Shinrikyo cult, who carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 which killed 12 and made thousands sick, Xinhua said, in a piece signed by somebody calling themselves Shi Shan. 'It was the support and connivance of the 14th Dalai Lama who took the foe for his friend that made Asahara feel secure in the knowledge that he had strong backing,' Xinhua said, in typically strong language. 'It is the 14th Dalai Lama's own deeds that have step by step betrayed his real intentions and political ambitions put under the guise of Buddhism and peace,' it added. The Dalai Lama also provided succor to the Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned by China as an 'evil cult,' and its leader Li Hongzhi, Xinhua said. '... Even such an evil cult leader who is denounced by many people and had to flee abroad to escape the punishment of laws secured compassion and admiration from the 14th Dalai Lama,' it added. Critics have accused China of repressing religious freedom in Tibet and other parts "

Bush to meet privately next week with Dalai Lama: "US President George W. Bush will meet privately on October 16 with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the White House announced Thursday, despite the risk of angering China. Bush will meet with the Dalai Lama in a private part of his White House residence away from the prying eyes of the press, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. The US leader has always met privately with the exiled Tibetan leader in the past, probably in a bid to lessen Beijing's fury at such a meeting. The day after their meeting here Bush will attend a ceremony at which the Dalai Lama will receive the Congressional Gold Medal at Capitol Hill."

China Cancels Rights Talks With Germany: "China Cancels Rights Talks With Germany Oct 14 09:30 PM US/Eastern BERLIN (AP) - China has canceled December human rights talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Foreign Ministry said Sunday, just weeks after Beijing criticized her for meeting with the Dalai Lama. A German Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said the planned meeting in Beijing had been canceled 'in the last few days,' but refused to give reasons. China criticized Merkel for meeting in Berlin in last month with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, whom China views as a beacon for pro- independence sentiment in Tibet. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the meeting 'seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people and undermined China-Germany relations.' Soon after the Berlin meeting, China abruptly called off other talks scheduled for the end of September in Munich, citing 'technical reasons.' Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, citing 'diplomatic sources in Beijing,' reported that China was particularly irritated that Merkel did not mention the upcoming meeting with the Dalai Lama when she was in China in August. China routinely criticizes visits abroad by the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet for India in 1959 during a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The 1989 Nobel Peace laureate remains popular a"