Milan honours Dalai Lama as citizen over China’s objections
MILAN — The Milan city council bestowed honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama on Thursday over the objections of Chinese Embassy, which said the gesture would have a negative impact on bilateral relations and regional co-operation.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate accepted the honour inside a theatre at the University of Milan-Bicocca campus before an audience of mostly students.
“I want to know what my right is, and what is my duty,” the Dalai Lama said, getting a laugh when he quipped that he preferred rights to duties.
On the eve of his arrival, the Chinese embassy in Rome issued a statement saying that honouring the Dalai Lama “has seriously wounded the feelings of the Chinese people” and expressing its “strong protest and firm opposition.”