China on Monday deplored the Grammy Award given to the Dalai Lama, saying it ‘firmly opposes’ the Tibetan spiritual leader using the recognition to carry out ‘anti-China activities’.
The Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, won his first Grammy on Sunday in the category of best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording for his spoken-word album, Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, at the 68th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
Asked for his reaction to the Dalai Lama winning the award, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian reiterated China’s allegation that the 90-year-old spiritual leader is carrying out separatist activity in the name of religion.
The Dalai Lama is not purely a religious person, Lin told a media briefing here.
‘He is a political exile committed to anti-Chinese separatist activity under the disguise of religion,’ he said. Beijing firmly opposes relevant sides using the award as a tool to carry out anti-China activities, he said. The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in Dharamsala since he left Tibet in 1959, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his consistent, nonviolent struggle to liberate Tibet. (PTI)
