‘All freedom-lovers worldwide must speak out against China’

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Friday gave a strong message to the world from the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, asking it to raise its voice against “Chinese oppression” in Tibet.

Pelosi said Tibet was a challenge to the world’s conscience. She said she was not surprised by the use of violence by the Chinese government but hoped that the “world opinion” would come down heavily on it. “If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China and the Chinese oppression in Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak out on human rights,” Pelosi told a big gathering of Tibetans in Dharamsala after meeting their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

She endorsed the demand of the Dalai Lama for an international probe into the violence in Tibet and asked China to allow access to monitors to assess the situation. “It is a situation where we need to know what is happening there,” she said, adding that an investigation will also help clear the Dalai Lama’s name.

She said the Chinese allegation that the leader was behind the violence was baseless as the Dalai Lama is considered the embodiment of non-violence.

Pelosi, who led a nine-member delegation of Democrat and Republican Congressmen, assured Tibetans of support from the US. Yet, she clarified that her visit to Dharamsala was planned before the current unrest. She, however, said she did not support a boycott of the Olympics.

The Dalai Lama expressed gratitude to the US for supporting his peaceful quest. “We always consider America a champion of freedom and liberty, so I always pray for their success.”