From Speech by Archbishop Desmond Tutu in San Francisco
“I am not going to say we should boycott the Olympic Games because you have to think of the athletes spending so much time preparing for this wonderful moment in their lives. But, I reckon none of the heads of state ought to go.
“I just hope China will realize that her best interests are in listening to the Dalai Lama. Anyone who has met him, knows you have been in the presence of one of the most holy people. For someone who has been in exile now nearly 50 years, his joyousness is amazing. He bubbles. He has a sense of fun like a schoolboy, really. Sometimes I say to him, ‘Shhh. The cameras are on us. Behave like a holy man.’
“But he’s an amazing person. I’m very sad that he’s being vilified in a way that anyone who knows him would say, ‘Oh come off it, man.’ The Dalai Lama has said clearly, ‘Let’s negotiate. We don’t want to separate from China. All we want is autonomy to preserve the very ancient Tibetan traditions and religion.’ ”
