On Wednesday, the Laogai Museum was honored by a visit from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  We were of course overjoyed, but at the same time disappointed that President Obama did not see fit to meet with the Dalai Lama at this time.  As we saw from the press this morning, the Chinese still kicked off about the fact that the “reviled” Dalai Lama received an award in Congress. 

Obama may have thought that by not meeting with the Dalai Lama before his upcoming trip to Beijing, he would somehow gain favor with the Chinese government on other issues.  In reality, they’ll leverage this decision by pressuring the Obama administration to lower the bar even further when it comes to human rights.  Back in the spring during her trip to Beijing, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said human rights would not be allowed to “interfere” with other strategic issues like climate change or the financial crisis.  But what good is a climate change agreement in a world where the Chinese government routinely imprisons environmental whistleblowers?  And what good is a Chinese-led solution to the global financial crisis without a free press to make sure that the financial sector is transparent?

President Obama came into office promising to do more on human rights, and we congratulate him on being awarded a Nobel Prize today.  Winning a Nobel Peace Prize carries with it a huge responsibility to stand up for those who cannot speak for themselves, and to bear witness to injustices wherever they appear.  It is imperative that President Obama use his position and influence on the world stage to support other advocates for peace – just like His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  The dictators in Beijing might put up a fight for a few days, but they’ll settle down and come back to the negotiating table.  And we will not have compromised our most sacred ideals in the process.