Dalai Lama hits out at 'death sentence'

The Dalai Lama accused China yesterday of imposing a "death sentence" on Tibet, as he arrived in Paris for a visit that has once again chilled Franco-Chinese relations.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader is to be named an honorary citizen of the French capital despite warnings from the Chinese government that his arrival will harm relations with France.

The Dalai Lama criticised Beijing's actions in Tibet since apparent anti-Chinese protests erupted in the region last year.

"Since March 2008 I have the feeling that a very old nation and its heritage and culture have received a death sentence," he told reporters at Paris airport on his arrival.

"The Chinese government makes a hard line policy, but the Chinese people are ignorant of the situation. The international community must go there to investigate, without restrictions."

The Dalai Lama, 73, is to be made an honorary citizen of Paris today.

On Saturday he met pro-Tibetan French lawmakers and members of the Chinese and Tibetan community in France.

"For the first time he told us that the March 2008 events were a provocation by the Chinese authorities," said Lionnel Luca, president of the French parliament's 170-strong Tibet studies group.

The lawmaker, a member of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party, said the Dalai Lama had accused the Chinese state of sending its agents to smash up shops in an effort to blacken the name of Tibetan protest movements.