Hopes among Tibetans that a recent leadership change in Beijing would lead to more relaxed policies in dealing with Tibet appear futile. The Tibet Sun has reported on Jan. 8, 2013, Fight against ‘Dalai Lama clique’ should go on: Chinese leader. China has recently vowed to continue to fight the Dalai Lama and his supporters in order to create a “favorable” social and political environment in the Tibetan region, while requesting that Buddhist monks and nuns be patriotic and law abiding.
Yu Zhengsheng, who is a member of the newly constituted seven- member Standing Committee of the Party, which rules over China, was recently on an an inspection tour in southwest China’s Sichuan province where he spoke for the first time on Tibet. Zhengsheng said, “The fight against the Dalai Lama clique should continue in order to create a favorable social and political environment for economic development and the improvement of people’s well-being."
During an inspection tour in Sichuan on Sunday and Monday, Zhengsheng has also asked monks and nuns to be patriotic and to observe the law and monastic rules. This has been the first public comment by the newly-elected Chinese leader on Tibet, which has seen an alarming rise in self-immolation protests. The Dalai Lama himself has expressed some optimism that the new Chinese leadership headed by Xi Jinping, who succeeded Hu Jintao as Party leader last November, would take steps to ease the Tibetan situation.
Chinese officials say that any initiative to reopen talks by the Chinese government with the Dalai Lama representatives could be contemplated only after March this year, when Xi officially takes over as President from Hu. Yu has said he hopes Tibetan Buddhists will support the government’s efforts to manage monasteries in accordance with the law and he has encouraged monks and nuns to observe both the law and monastic rules.
