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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Dalai Lama deprecates violence

Staff Correspondent

Refutes claims he is behind unrest

Dalai Lama

SHIMLA: Perturbed over the continuing violence by his supporters and the accusations by the Chinese government against him, the Dalai Lama, 73, has threatened to resign as the political head of his movement-in-exile.

Talking to reporters in Dharamsala on Tuesday, he said his only option was to resign if violence continued.

The spiritual head of the Tibetans living in exile in India has also refuted the Chinese claims that he was behind violence in Tibet. “It can be investigated by the Chinese,” he said.

An aide of the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Takhla, said that if the Tibetans were to choose the path of violence he would have to quit because he was completely committed to non-violence. He would resign as the political leader and head of state, but not as the Dalai Lama. He would always be the Dalai Lama, he said.

“Build good relations”

PTI reports:

The Dalai Lama’s comments came hours after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao blamed him for the violence in Tibet and said Beijing would hold talks with the spiritual leader only if he gave up independence ambitions for his homeland.

“We must build good relations with the Chinese,” the Dalai Lama said, adding, “we should not develop anti-Chinese feelings. We must live together side by side. In Tibet, Han Chinese and Tibetans can live happily.”

“Don’t commit violence, it is not good,” the Dalai Lama said, adding, “Violence is against human nature, violence is almost suicide. Even if 1,000 Tibetans sacrifice their lives, it will not help,” he said, stressing that “independence is out of the question.”

But, the Dalai Lama, who last week said he was helpless when violence broke out in Tibet, stated he was not in a position to tell Tibetans living under Chinese rule as to what they should or they should not do.

“This movement is beyond our control,” he said of the unrest. It was up to the “international community to help us to cool down the situation” and probe the violence.

He also invited Chinese officials to visit him and investigate their charges that his movement was behind the violence in the Tibetan capital Lhasa. “Come here, please investigate the facts. The Chinese can come, look at everything,” he said, joking they would even be welcome to search under his maroon and gold robes.

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