President Emphasizes Religious Liberty At Presentation To Dalai Lama

President George W. Bush yesterday spoke at the ceremony awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the Dalai Lama. The President's speech (full text) emphasized the importance of religious liberty in the United States. He said that in awarding the Medal to the exiled Tibetan leader, "America raises its voice in the call for religious liberty and basic human rights." In what will likely be the most politically important portion of his speech, the President said: "Americans cannot look to the plight of the religiously oppressed and close our eyes or turn away. And that is why I will continue to urge the leaders of China to welcome the Dalai Lama to China. They will find this good man to be a man of peace and reconciliation." (See prior related posting.) The Washington Post points out that yesterday's ceremony was the first time a sitting U.S. president has appeared in public with the Dalai Lama.