China Lambasts Dalai Lama For Supporting AUM

File under: The Siddhi of PR

The People's Republic of China hates them some Dalai Lama, mostly because they covet his overwhelming popularity in Tibet even though he hasn't been there since 1959. Thus, they feel they have to come up with these propaganda missives against the guy:

The Dalai Lama supported Shoko Asahara and his Aum Shinrikyo cult, who carried out a sarin nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 which killed 12 and made thousands sick, Xinhua said, in a piece signed by somebody calling themselves Shi Shan.

"It was the support and connivance of the 14th Dalai Lama who took the foe for his friend that made Asahara feel secure in the knowledge that he had strong backing," Xinhua said, in typically strong language.

We imagine the poor D.L. was just being a nice guy when he backed the AUM loonies and their death row guru. He probably gives the same recognition to many spiritual organizations out of a general courtesy rather than a specific endorsement of their ideas or leadership.

Since the D.L. is no psychologist or psychiatrist, he couldn't have known just how out there the AUM folk were about to go. So, nice try, China, but no lollipop for you this time.