Refugee Crisis: Dalai Lama Addresses UK's Response To Wave Of Migrants

The Dalai Lama's Simple Solution To The Refugee Crisis

His holiness the Dalai Lama has spoken out about the refugee crisis, which is being hailed as the largest movement of people to Europe since the Second World War.

The religious leader, who has himself been in exile for 56 years, expressed a message of peace at what is a time of huge uncertainty for many people.

He praised the reactions of Germany and Austria but has warned the consequences of "everyone coming to Europe", citing that the solution is for the violence to stop in the Middle East.

The Dalai Lama speaks during a press conference at Magdalen College, Oxford University, at the start of a 10-day UK visit

Speaking at an event in Oxford, the Tibetan spiritual leader answered questions about the European response to the crisis.

He said: "I think Germany and Austria have had a very good response to the refugee crisis, this country (The UK) is also now showing the seriousness of what we have to do.

"But we have to think, it’s impossible for everyone to come to Europe.

"Ultimately we have to think about how to reduce the killing in their countries. We have to reduce the use of force. The use of force has never solved these problems."

Continuing to discuss the consequences of violence, he referred to George Bush's handling of 9/11, stating: "After 9/11 I expressed my condolences in a letter to President Bush and told him the way to solve this problem was through non-violence.

"I know his motives were good but he used force and it created unexpected consequences."

The Dalai Lama is currently in exile from his home country of Tibet and has been since 1959. He was forced to flee after the Chinese adopted brutal repressive measures against the leader and the country's Buddhist beliefs.

The Chinese government has since said it will designate the next Dalai Lama, rather than the figurehead being chosen through the traditional method where Buddhist monks identify their reincarnated spiritual leader after his death.

Although earlier this year the spiritual leader stated he might be the last Dalai Lama, rather than being reincarnated in line with Tibetan Buddhists beliefs.

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