8 July 2008

Under the headline “London school regrets honoring Dalai Lama” China’s official China Daily, today reported that the Vice-Chancellor of London Metropolitan University had written to the Chinese Embassy in London on June 16 apologising for bestowing an honourary degree on the Dalai Lama(1).

Citing an unnamed embassy official, the China Daily reported that the vice-chancellor, Brian Roper, said in the letter that awarding the degree had not been well-considered.

The China Daily reported that Chinese students had been “angered and offended by the move” and had called for a boycott of London Metropolitan. An unnamed staff member at London’s China Embassy had also stated that, while the apology was sincere, it was not enough to completely offset the negative effect, according to the China Daily.

The China Daily’s report has been emphatically rejected by London Metropolitan University. In an emailed statement(2) received by Free Tibet Campaign, the university’s PR Officer, Irene Constantinides, confirmed that the Vice-Chancellor had met with officials from the Embassy but stated “London Metropolitan University has not apologised for making the award”.

She said in the statement that the vice-chancellor “expressed regret at any unhappiness” caused to the Chinese people by the award, but reiterated that the university “will not be apologising for the award” and that the reward would not be retracted.

Anne Holmes, Acting Director of Free Tibet Campaign, said: “In China students are given only the information the Chinese government wants them to receive on Tibet. It’s a shame that those Chinese students who attempted to organise the boycott of Metropolitan do not take advantage of the freedom of information available to them here in the UK to learn for themselves the terrible truth of China’s brutal occupation of Tibet.”

Ends

Notes to the editor:

(1)    The full China Daily report can be seen at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-07/08/content_6826398.htm

(2)    A full copy of the statement emailed to Free Tibet Campaign by London Metropolitan University can be seen on request.

For further information: Matt Whitticase. T: +44 (0)20 7324 4605 M: +44 (0)7515 778456

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Dear Matt,

The Vice Chancellor of London Metropolitan University recently met with representatives of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the UK.

During that meeting, he expressed regret at any unhappiness that had been caused to Chinese people by the recent award of an honorary doctorate to the Dalai Lama. It was not the university's intention to cause any such unhappiness.

London Metropolitan University has not apologised for making the award.

We have expressed regret for any unintended unhappiness that making the award may have caused.

London Metropolitan University has not and will not be apologising for the award of an honorary doctorate to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Nor will we be retracting the award.

Many thanks

Irene

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Irene Constantinides

PR Officer