U.S. President Barack Obama praised and extended a warm welcome to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Thursday as both attended a prayer meeting that marked their first public encounter.
“I want to offer a special welcome to a good friend, His Holiness the Dalai Lama — who is a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion, who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and dignity of all human beings,” Obama said in a national prayer breakfast meeting.
“I’ve been pleased to welcome him to the White House on many occasions, and we’re grateful that he’s able to join us here today,” he said.
It was the first public encounter between Obama and the Dalai Lama, though they did not hold a formal meeting. Up until Thursday, the two had met three times — in 2010, 2011 and 2014, but those meetings were all held behind closed doors in consideration of protests from China.
China regards the Dalai Lama as a separatist trying to split Tibet from the country.
Earlier this week, Beijing voiced displeasure with Obama’s plan to attend the prayer meeting, with its foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, telling reporters Monday that China opposes any foreign leaders meeting the Dalai Lama “in any form.”
Meanwhile, Obama celebrated the release of Kenneth Bae after two years of detention in North Korea, recalling last year’s prayer breakfast calling for his release.
Bae, a Korean-American missionary, was released in November after Director of National Intelligence James Clapper made a secret trip to the North. Bae had been serving 15 years of hard labor after being detained in late 2012 for unspecified anti-state crimes.
“Last year, we joined together to pray for the release of Christian missionary Kenneth Bae, held in North Korea for two years. And today, we give thanks that Kenneth is finally back where he belongs — home, with his family,” Obama said. (Yonhap)
