The days of a soft approach to the Tibet issue might be over. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama (73) has indicated that he was losing faith in his middle-path
CHANDIGARH: The days of a soft approach to the Tibet issue might be over. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama (73) has indicated that he was losing faith in his middle-path approach in talking Tibet with Beijing and would now ask fellow Tibetans to decide the future course of action.
“We have already made enough concessions and sincere efforts in seeking only greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule through the middle-way policy,” he said. Agencies even hinted at a switch in policy from demanding autonomy to full independence.
Distraught at repeated failures to break ice with China, the Dalai Lama said he was now losing faith in dealing with the Chinese. His comments come ahead of a new round of talks between his envoys and Chinese officials later this week.
His spokesman Tenzin Taklha said all options would be on the table at a meeting scheduled next month of exiled Tibetan leaders involved in the campaign for greater autonomy for their Himalayan homeland.
The Dalai Lama, however, added that his approach had found favour among many Chinese scholars and he still had faith in the Chinese people.
Denying the Chinese allegation that he was leading a campaign to separate Tibet from China, the Dalai Lama said he was only seeking a solution to the Tibet issue within the constitutional framework of the People’s Republic of China. The “issue at hand was the welfare of the Tibetan people and not my personal status and affairs. It is about the problems that the Tibetan people are facing”.
“So far I have been sincerely pursuing the mutually beneficial Middle-Way policy in dealing with China. I have now asked the Tibetan government-in-exile, as a true democracy in exile, to decide in consultation with the Tibetan people how to take the dialogue forward,” he added.
The Dalai Lama had recently called a ‘special meeting’ of all Tibetan exile groups to discuss the progress of talks and the situation in Tibet. This was done in the backdrop of widespread anti-China protests in Tibet earlier this year. “Even under extreme fear of repression, Tibetan people showed great courage in expressing their aspiration and deep resentment and discontent against Chinese rule,” the Nobel peace prize winner said.
“Unfortunately, the demonstrations in Tibet have been violently suppressed by the Chinese police and military. Besides, the Chinese government went on to create a distorted image of the situation and described the unrest as a work of separatist elements to split China,” he said.
“From my side, I have made all efforts and kept all doors open for China to clear its mistrust and show evidence to prove their accusations against us,” he said, adding “but [Chinese side] showed no response at all”.
“In the absence of any appropriate and timely response, my position as the Dalai Lama is only becoming an obstruction instead of helping find a solution to the Tibet issue. As far as I’m concerned I have given up,” he said.
“So, in the coming meeting Tibetan people must take serious responsibility to discuss the future course of action on Tibet and find out where what has stalled our dialogue process,” he said.
b_ajay@dnaindia.net
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