[COPY OF LETTER]
FROM: The Rt Hon Lord Ennals
IN CONFIDENCE
The Prime Minister
The Rt Hon John Major MP
10 Downing Street
London SWI
Dear John
4th October 1991
His Holiness the Dalai Lama is to receive an Honorary Degree at
Oxford University on Monday December 2nd. It is not the intention
of the Office of Tibet or the All Party Parliamentary Group to
arrange any other functions during the course of this very brief
visit. It occurred to some of us in the Parliamentary Group that you might value the opportunity of meeting the Dalai Lama in a quite informal way as did President Bush soon after the Dalai Lama's
to London. You may also know that the Dalai Lama has been visiting
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia this week by invitation of the three
Presidents.
visit
I believe that the function in Oxford is on the evening of December
2nd and I feel sure that if you were to invite him, the Office of
Tibet would be able to make arrangements for a meeting with you
either that afternoon or the following morning.
May I add that this is in no way a political visit and is not Our
intention to give any publicity if you were not able to meet him
although I feel sure that there would be considerable publicity if
you were to invite him. It would, I think, be a gesture which would
be warmly welcomed by many people of all parties.
Yours sincerely
Lord Ennals