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| Top US lawmaker meets Dalai Lama | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A top US lawmaker is holding talks with the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, in the northern Indian hill town of Dharamsala. | |
| Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said China's crackdown in Tibet was a "disgrace" | Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said China's crackdown in Tibet was a "disgrace" |
| Ms Pelosi is only outranked by the US president and the vice-president. | Ms Pelosi is only outranked by the US president and the vice-president. |
| Tibet's government-in-exile - which operates from Dharamsala - sees the visit as a show of sympathy from the US, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas. | Tibet's government-in-exile - which operates from Dharamsala - sees the visit as a show of sympathy from the US, says the BBC's Damian Grammaticas. |
| Ms Pelosi met the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on Thursday. | Ms Pelosi met the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi on Thursday. |
| 'A challenge' | 'A challenge' |
| She flew into Dharamsala on Friday morning and was given a red-carpet welcome. | She flew into Dharamsala on Friday morning and was given a red-carpet welcome. |
| "Today we are here at a sad time to join you in shedding the bright light of truth on what is happening in Tibet," Ms Pelosi told a huge gathering at the main Tibetan temple in the town. | "Today we are here at a sad time to join you in shedding the bright light of truth on what is happening in Tibet," Ms Pelosi told a huge gathering at the main Tibetan temple in the town. |
| "The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world. What is happening, the world needs to know," she said. | "The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world. What is happening, the world needs to know," she said. |
| "If freedom loving people do not speak out against China's oppression of Tibetan people, we lose the moral right to speak of human rights." | "If freedom loving people do not speak out against China's oppression of Tibetan people, we lose the moral right to speak of human rights." |
| Ms Pelosi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on ThursdayMs Pelosi's trip to Dharamsala was planned weeks before protests swept across a vast swathe of Tibet and neighbouring Chinese provinces. | Ms Pelosi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on ThursdayMs Pelosi's trip to Dharamsala was planned weeks before protests swept across a vast swathe of Tibet and neighbouring Chinese provinces. |
| But Thubten Samphel, the spokesman for Tibet's exiled government, says Nancy Pelosi's meeting with the Dalai Lama will send a message to China that its treatment of Tibetans should be more benign. | But Thubten Samphel, the spokesman for Tibet's exiled government, says Nancy Pelosi's meeting with the Dalai Lama will send a message to China that its treatment of Tibetans should be more benign. |
| Ahead of the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China's leaders to resume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. | Ahead of the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China's leaders to resume a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. |
| The Tibetan spiritual leader has once again repeated his insistence that he does not want independence for Tibet. | The Tibetan spiritual leader has once again repeated his insistence that he does not want independence for Tibet. |
| He says he is ready to sit face-to-face with China's president. | He says he is ready to sit face-to-face with China's president. |
| The spokesman for Tibet's government-in-exile said China should realise that the Dalai Lama has made every conceivable compromise on the matter of Tibet's sovereignty and that he is the only figure who has the ability to make other Tibetans compromise too. | The spokesman for Tibet's government-in-exile said China should realise that the Dalai Lama has made every conceivable compromise on the matter of Tibet's sovereignty and that he is the only figure who has the ability to make other Tibetans compromise too. |
| Tibetans living in exile in Dharamsala have been holding daily protests against the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. | Tibetans living in exile in Dharamsala have been holding daily protests against the Chinese crackdown in Tibet. |
| China has said that only 13 people have been killed during the protests, and that all were innocent and killed by "rioters" in Lhasa. | China has said that only 13 people have been killed during the protests, and that all were innocent and killed by "rioters" in Lhasa. |
| The Tibetan government in exile has said at least 99 people have died so far, including 80 in Lhasa - and have accused the security forces of firing on crowds. | The Tibetan government in exile has said at least 99 people have died so far, including 80 in Lhasa - and have accused the security forces of firing on crowds. |