Prague - As Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama accuses China of creating a climate of fear in Tibet and calls for a "meaningful autonomy" of the region, the Green Party members hoisted the flag at the Environment Ministry building on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of His Holiness' exile.
Bursík and his fellow party member Kateřina Jacques joined a last year's protest against the Chinese oppression of the Tibetan people in front of the Chinese embassy in Prague.
The lower house of the Czech Parliament presently hosts an exhibition of photographs of Tibet and its people, organized by the Friends of Tibet group. The group members are lawmakers from a number of political parties except the Communist Party.
Entry to civilized world
On Monday, Martin Bursík met the Dalai Lama representative in Prague. "I am mulling a support of development aid and ecology in Tibet," the minister told press agency ČTK.
"I cannot imagine that during the Czech EU presidency the Czech Republic would shun the support of human rights," Bursík told journalists on Tuesday.
"It would be a shame for the country as well as for the EU. The EU presidency is a chance for us to remind the Chinese regime that if they want to "enter the civilized world", they will have to change their approach to Tibet," he added.
History of pro-Tibetan protests in ČR
The pro-Tibet activism practiced by some Czech lawmakers must certainly keep upsetting the Chinese authorities. Pro-Tibet protests date back to the 1990s when former president Václav Havel invited His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Prague.
Shocked at that time by Havel's daring act, Beijing banned courses of the Chinese language for Czech students in China.
Sitting president Václav Klaus is far from following his predecessor. On the opposite, Klaus is known for advocating business ties with China.
When asked about Tibet, former minister of industry and business Miloslav Grégr went so far by snapping at journalists: "Can you tell me what you want to trade with Tibet?"
When French president Nicolas Sarkozy met the Dalai Lama in Paris last year, the Chinese officials refused to attend an EU summit. The summit is due to be held this May in Prague.
