The Buddhist community here in Syracuse shares anxieties with Buddhists across the world over tensions between the Dalai Lama and China. Beijing insists the Dala Lamai is a problem who is trying to separate Tibet from China. However, newKerala.com, http://www.newkerala.com, has reported "Not seeking Tibet's freedom but autonomy: Dalai Lama".
The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has asserted once again that he was not seeking Tibet's independence and said Beijing has continued to make baseless charges of separatism against him. A post on the website of the Central Tibetan Administration, http://www.tibet.net, states the Dalai Lama has said "It is common knowledge that I am not seeking independence, and many Tibetans are critical of this position, but the Chinese government continues to label me as a splittist."
While on a recent visit to California the Dalai Lama said while addressing a group of Chinese students "The problems in Tibet are manmade and so logically they can be resolved." He went on to say that in the past two years he has been taking up issues ranging from why China should become a responsible nation to ways to find a solution to the Tibet issue. The Tibetan spiritual leader said that even prior to the Tiananmen crisis, which consisted of a Communist Chinese military crackdown on pro-democracy protests on Tiananmen Square in 1989, he had been trying to reach out to the Chinese people but was faced with difficulty. The Dalai Lama said "Following the Tiananmen development, it was much easier to get responses from the Chinese."
The Dalai Lama has gone on to comment "After the 2008 crisis in Tibet, when protests against Chinese rule in Lhasa erupted into violence which spread to other areas of western China, more and more Chinese have started paying attention to the Tibetan issue." The Dalai Lama also commented on the ongoing dialogue process with the Chinese leadership and said "In 2002, contact was re-established with the Chinese leadership but there has been no genuine progress." During
the ninth round of talks which were held in January this year, the exiles submitted an "explanatory" note to the Chinese leadership to clarify their stand on autonomy. The Chinese said the two sides had "sharply divided views as usual" after these talks.
The Dalai Lama has been following a "middle-path" policy that seeks greater autonomy for Tibetans rather than complete independence. However, the Communist Chinese view him as a hostile person who is intent on splitting Tibet from China. Beijing looks unfavorably upon meetings between the Dalai Lama and foreign leaders. He has said the students he has spoken with could spread the real picture of Tibet to everyone. The Dalai Lama and many of his supporters fled Tibet and took refuge in India when Communist Chinese troops moved in and took control of Lhasa in 1959.
Buddhists here in Syracuse will continue to join Buddhists internationally in prayers for the well being of the Dalai Lama and his fellow exiled Tibetans as concerns continue over relations between the Dalai Lama and China.
Mandel News Service: http://www.mandelnews.com
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