Mr. Verhagen pointed out that there were approximately 250,000 Buddhists in the Netherlands. His Holiness responded that he was very happy with his visit to date and that his visit dealt primarily with two issues on his mind. Firstly was the promotion of human values, and the second was the promotion of religious harmony and he looked forward to discussing these issues. His Holiness said he had great respect for the religions of those present, and in many cases regarded figures from other religions as Masters from whom he could learn much.

The discussion on issues of faith focused on the need for societies and communities to develop compassionate responses to problems, in order to bring progress on more regional and global problems. The religious leaders also mentioned the need for global ethical standards, while noting that religious practise is a matter of personal choice; both whether to practise and which faith to adhere to. His Holiness said that problems arise when the idea of one truth, one religion is propagated. In the Indian Constitution, secularism is enshrined – but this secularism is not a rejection of all religion but rather a respect for all religions. His Holiness said that at a fundamental level, compassion was a universal value that humans had the capacity to feel even without religious training.

Where there are problems, His Holiness regarded the need for a realistic approach and a realistic understanding of possibilities and limitations as paramount. His Holiness mentioned that although some negative acts are carried out, sometimes in the name of religion, we should fight the action, but have compassion for the actor.

Visit to the Dutch Parliament

His Holiness continued on to the Dutch Parliament, where he was received by Mr. Ormel, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs (Voorzitter vaste kamer commissie Buitenlandse Zaken). His Holiness was then received by the President of the House of Representatives, Ms. Gerdi Verbeet (Voorzitter Tweede Kamer) in the Schrijfkamer of the Parliament, where His Holiness was formally welcomed to the Parliament and signed the Visitors’ Book.

His Holiness then proceeded to the meeting chamber for the House of Representatives (Oude Zaal), where he was greeted by the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Mr Ormel welcomed His Holiness and noted the level of public interest in the Netherlands surrounding the visit. His Holiness said his visit had hopefully made some small progress in inner peace. Noting that the Dutch parliament was a symbol of democracy and the will of the people, His Holiness described how proud he was that since 2001 Tibetans have had a democratic system in exile.

His Holiness said that he was just a human being, one of six billion. His number one commitment was the promotion of human value, and secondly as a Buddhist to discuss his view that all major traditions of religion have same message of compassion and forgiveness, so all have some potential to help humanity. There may be differences in philosophy, but the same fundamental goal exists. Therefore common ground is achievable, so people should work together to achieve it.

His Holiness’ third commitment was as a Tibetan, and inside as well as outside people put hope and trust in him so His Holiness has the moral responsibility to serve them. His Holiness regards himself as the free spokesman of the Tibetan people, not their ruler. As early as 1969, His Holiness stated that the institution of the Dalai Lama should only continue if desired. In 1992, His Holiness said that if Tibetans in exile returned to a free Tibet, His Holiness would hand over all authority to local government, which would hopefully eventually be elected by the people. This was a tough prospect, but it was his wish.

Asked about the nature of a future Tibetan autonomy, His Holiness responded that every Tibetan wants to modernise Tibet. He said that while Tibet has been materially backwards, it is spiritually advanced. Therefore remaining within the PRC was in Tibetans’ own interest, provided the Chinese government give meaningful autonomy, as written in constitution. Therefore the Middle Way does not seek separation, but Tibetans must have rights to their own language, script, religious philosophy and the right to protect their environment.

His Holiness said the idea of a ‘Greater Tibet’ was one spread by the Chinese government – Tibetans did not use this term. His Holiness sees a future solution as encompassing all those areas considered to be autonomous under the existing Constitution. His Holiness went on to explain that beyond the TAR there are numerous autonomous counties, prefectures and districts that are acknowledged to be Tibetan. Having the same religion, culture and language, they should be united under the same set of rights in order to protect that culture and language.

His Holiness was asked by an MP from the ruling CDA what His Holiness can do for China, why they should discuss with him. His Holiness was also asked to explain how he envisages tackling the growing demographic imbalances from Chinese moving into Tibetan areas – how would this effect an autonomy solution? His Holiness responded that China dismisses the idea that it has any problem – the only problem is the Dalai Lama. It is for the international community to judge if there is a problem or not. They should go to Tibet, ask and investigate. If all is well, that should be no problem. But if all is not well, the China government must accept this reality and adjust policies accordingly. The gun is not the answer – President Hu seeks to build a Harmonious Society fo which he has His Holiness’ full support, but harmony stems from the heart, not from fear. Where there is no trust, there can be no harmony.

So in terms of what His Holiness can offer, he feels it is in China’s best interests to seek a solution based on reality. The current situation is not good for Tibetans, but it is also bad for China. It is not good for the stability and unity of the country. On the matter of demographics and Chinese migration to Tibet, His Holiness said that he has been accused of wanting to throw all Chinese out of Tibet, but this has never been his position. However, there must be some kind of control so that Tibet does not end up like Mongolia, where the local population become overwhelmed. Also, His Holiness argued that there is a sustainability issue with continually pursuing population increases in Tibet where there is a fragile environment. But in general, His Holiness saw no problem with Chinese in Tibet, assuming they respect and acknowledge the special Tibetan culture.

His Holiness was asked about outreach to Chinese people by MP von Bommel. His Holiness responded that aspects of his outreach to the Chinese government had been unsuccessful, and for that reason his faith in the government had grown thinner. But his faith in the Chinese people has remained completely unshaken. His Holiness said that he always tries to meet Chinese people wherever he travels and he sees signs that this approach begins to reap some rewards. Although there are sometimes small demonstrations by Chinese students, His Holiness questioned whether these were genuine or organised by the Chinese embassy, but regardless these attitudes were the result of wrong information.

His Holiness was asked by the Dutch MP van Balen whether there was any threat of future violence if the Tibet issue was not resolved. His Holiness answered that while debates about Middle Way and independence existed, there was no question of a violent struggle. His Holiness was certain that even in a desperate situation, Tibetans would maintain a non-violent struggle.

The Green MP Ms. Mariko Peters, asked how to balance the practise of patience with the need for urgent action on the environment. His Holiness said he saw no contradiction between patience and urgency. This was more a question of a realistic approach – can the goal be achieved immediately? If not, patience is essential but one must always keep power, determination and hope. Ecology issues are extremely important and too often neglected – if the science is right, the government response is very late. His Holiness joked that if he had a vote, he would choose the Green Party.

His Holiness was asked by the MP from the Christian Union what his views were on the separation of church and state. His Holiness responded that he was extremely proud of the democratic reforms carried out among the Tibetan community in exile – it is His Holiness’ firm belief that religious institutions shouldn’t take political power. However, at the individual level, religious minded people can be good politicians, as they have a certain sense of self-discipline. His Holiness said as an example, that Chairman Mao until 1955 appeared pure and dedicated, but from 1956-57 Mao and the CCP seemed to be corrupted by power and lacked self-discipline. So from His Holiness position, religion in politics is not essential, but some faith can be useful.

The MP representing the party D66 asked His Holiness what he thought of Prime Minister Balkenende’s decision not to meet with His Holiness. His Holiness responded that he did not want to inconvenience anyone, and that this question was essentially one for Dutch politicians to discuss.

Finally, the MP representing the Party of the Animals asked His Holiness about his thoughts on the industrial production of meat and excessive consumption that can lead to cruelty to fellow creatures. His Holiness said that he very much appreciated this party and acknowledged that man has no given right to exploit other beings, so he totally agreed with their work. His Holiness said he was also concerned by extreme laboratory experiments, without feeling for the pain of the animals. His Holiness said that our attitude to animals and the environment showed something about people’s attitude to life and reflects a form of negative human behaviour.

Forum to discuss water on the Tibetan Plateau

In the afternoon, His Holiness attended a high-level roundtable on “Water on the Tibetan Plateau: Ecological and Strategic Implications for the Region”, convened by the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (www.hcss.nl). HCSS is an independent think-tank that offers governments, international institutions and industry support and advice in areas related to international and national defence and security by conducting research and analysis and making policy suggestions.

The roundtable brought His Holiness together with water, environmental and security experts from Asia and Europe. The roundtable was moderated by Isabel Hilton, former BBC correspondent and director of Chinadialogue (www.chinadialogue.net). The roundtable was attended by representatives of the Asia Society in New York, WWF and other organizations working on issues of security and ecology.

In welcome remarks, the head of HCSS stated that whatever the political future of Tibet, the topic of water in the region is a crucial one. All countries in the region must acknowledge the interests of others and cooperate and unite on responses, as the EU did after the Second World War.

His Holiness thanked for the opportunity to speak, even though he is not an expert. When living in Tibet, His Holiness said that Tibetans had no real concept of these kinds of problems. His Holiness himself had no experience of polluted water or the distinction between drinkable and polluted water when he first came into exile. His Holiness discussed the idea of Tibet as not only the roof of the world, but also a third pole, comparable to the South and North Poles.

His Holiness stated that major rivers from Pakistan to China have their source in Tibet. Over one billion people depend on these rivers, including the densely populated North of India, so special care is required. Since 1950s there has been wide scale deforestation, leading to flooding in parts of China. Political action has, in periods, been taken to address some of these problems but local corruption has limited the impact of these efforts.

His Holiness was asked whether he had any advice on how to nurture cooperation with Chinese people. His Holiness said that even in difficult times, dialogue has been crucial and possible. His Holiness also noted that some NGOs have grown in China focused on ecology issues, but he said that if all hope was placed in government then this might lead to disappointment. Cooperation in the sense of mere discussions wasn’t practical, there must be a will and a desire to take action.

His Holiness also said that population growth in Tibet could damage the fragile Tibetan ecology. In Lhasa, there is a planned population increase that would have an impact on the environment.

An academic from Pakistan discussed the idea of areas of Tibet as a ‘Peace Park’, as a kind of global heritage. The academic compared the way in which the Polar Regions have been areas of international cooperation, and that this could be a model on a regional level. His Holiness said that in principle this was an important idea, assuming cooperation and agreement with neighbours in Nepal and India.

Another participant commented on the power of His Holiness’ messages to Tibetans on ethical or environmental issues, including calls to end the use of furs as decoration. His Holiness that developing environmental awareness required education. His Holiness said he always tells Tibetans and Himalayan peoples that they must counter ignorance on these issues if they are to survive.

His Holiness explained his view that to manage the environment requires full autonomy since Tibetans know Tibet better than any other, so on matters of cultivation, crops, seasons and so on, these are best known by Tibetans. His Holiness’ view is that apart from foreign affairs and defence, Tibetans know their own environment best.

A Chinese participant commented on the removal of nomads in Qinghai in the coming five years. He argued that Chinese alone cannot devise the best policy for this region, so failure to cooperate would be disastrous. His Holiness said this was information he was aware of, including the resettlement of nomads to small townships without prospects of employment. Therefore after an initial period, these former nomads began to face financial problems, face problems in educating their children.

Another participant asked about the possibility for a shared vision between India and China on Tibet’s ecosystem and the role for His Holiness. His Holiness said any such dialogue must include others, such as Bangladesh and Nepal, and acknowledge that they can be impacted dramatically by the decisions made by others in the region. If His Holiness were to become involved in such a discussion it could lead to a negative effect. As long as hardliners in the CCP have the upper-hand, the view of the Dalai Lama will not be considered favourably.

A further participant asked whether His Holiness had considered using the COP15 climate negotiations in Copenhagen this year as a platform to raise issues about ecology and sustainability in Tibet. His Holiness would consider this suggestion.

Keynote speech at the Global Leadership Forum

Speaking on the current economic situation, His Holiness said at first he thought that market forces were beyond human control, but an Italian friend explained that the current economic crisis was the result of greed, speculation and a lack of transparency. So His Holiness felt that morals and their product exist in the economic field. If there had been greater transparency and clarity, people could have taken action and been fully informed. This creates fewer surprises and shocks like the current crisis.

His Holiness said every human action entwined with our motivation, so that success or failure is not an issue, but rather positive motivation, compassionate motivation. Positive motivation balances the mind, brings clarity. Too much attachment or greed makes it difficult to see an objective reality, and too much mental projection. So in any human activity, including business, should take a realistic approach with a calm mind.

His Holiness was asked to articulate his message to the western world, with its habits of consumption. His Holiness said he sees no real distinction between East and West – of course at the secondary level there are differences but at the fundamental level, just human beings. His Holiness saw need for both material and spiritual progress. Despite economic progress, poverty still exists at the national and global level, which represents not only a moral but a societal and practical problem. Simultaneously, as the world population increases there are resource and ecological challenges such as water scarcity and ultimately global warming. These problems demand a sense of global responsibility and a concern for the wellbeing of others.

Asked about the role of money in society, His Holiness said that there was nothing intrinsically wrong with money, he said in Tibet people spoke of money as ‘a means to accomplish ones aims’ rather than the aim itself. Therefore the problem is not with money itself but our attitudes to money. His Holiness argued that in fact those most focused on money are often most unsettled by it, for example in the current economic climate it is probably them who are having the most sleepless nights. This is because they have grown attached to money itself and have lost a balance between money and other values. So His Holiness’ advice to the business leaders in the audience was to retain a balance in your approach to money and pay close attention to cultivating inner values.

‘Night of Tibet’ in Amsterdam

His Holiness paid a brief visit to the ‘Night of Tibet’ in Amsterdam, an event of music, debate and movies all related to Tibet. His Holiness thanked the crowds for their enthusiastic welcome and urged them, as the next generation and leaders of the 21^st century, to use their education and passion wisely and to strive for a better century than the one before. His Holiness then listened to some of the artists before ending his program in the Netherlands.

Departing the Netherlands, Saturday 6 June

After a brief meeting with Tibetan organisations in the Netherlands, His Holiness departed for France on Saturday morning, where he will be named an honorary citizen of Paris. His Holiness will also will meet members of the Tibetan community in France and give a public lecture on the theme of secular ethics.

Report filed by Stewart Watters, International Campaign for Tibet