Previous
File
Current
File
Dalai
Lama asks Tibetans to prepare for the worst
New
Delhi: Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has
warned that Tibetans are close to extinction, thanks to
the oppressive and authoritarian approach of the Chinese.
Speaking ahead of the 50th anniversary of his flight from
Lhasa to exile in India, a defiant Dalai Lama praised
the sacrifices of those killed during last year's uprising.
The Dalai Lama's speech came as China reiterated its determination
to stop a repeat of last year's violence in Tibet. Despite
50 years of international campaigning and fruitless negotiations
with Chinese leaders, the Dalai Lama said that Tibetans
were still treated like criminals in their own country.
"These 50 years have brought untold suffering and destruction
to the land and people of Tibet. Even today, Tibetans
in Tibet live in constant fear and the Chinese authorities
remain constantly suspicious of them," he told followers
in Dharamsala, the Indian home of his government in exile.
"Today, the religion, culture, language and identity,
which successive generations of Tibetans have considered
more precious than their lives, are nearing extinction;
in short, the Tibetan people are regarded like criminals
deserving to be put to death," he said.
According to The Telegraph, he charted his exiled government's
successive attempts to negotiate a settlement with Beijing
which would allow Tibetans to preserve their unique culture
and to live in autonomy within the People's Republic of
China, but said repeated promises from Chairman Mao Tse-tung,
Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping, had come to nothing. Negotiations
continue to break down because Chinese officials insist
Tibetans accept their country has always been a part of
China, which he said was not only "inaccurate but also
unreasonable. We cannot change the past no matter whether
it was good or bad," he said. Though now semi-retired,
he pledged to continue campaigning for Tibetan freedom,
and urged his exiled followers to "hope for the best but
prepare for the worst."
Tibetan
parliament-in-exile begins
Dharamshala: The
seventh session of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile began
here on Monday. The two-week session will end on March
18, where the main agenda will be the annual budget of
the Tibetan government-in-exile. The other major issues
are the current situation in Tibet coinciding with the
50th anniversary of Chinese occupation of their homeland
and the feedback of the Dalai Lama's envoys to Beijing.
"The main topic is the budget of Tibetan government-in-exile.
Besides that, from the side of the standing committee,
we have put forward to discuss about the present situation
in Tibet and what we can do to relieve the stress of Tibetans
inside Tibet," said Karma Choepel, former speaker of the
Tibetan parliament-in-exile. "We will also discuss about
the outcome of the first general meeting held in November
2008. During this two weeks' session, the parliamentarians
will also discuss the memorandum that the eight Tibetans
delegation have submitted to the Chinese Government,"
added Choepel. Instituted in 1960, the Tibetan parliament-in-exile
is the highest legislative organ of the Tibetan refugee
community. The Parliament consists of 46 members. U-Tsang,
Do-tod and Do-med, the three traditional provinces of
Tibet, elect ten members each, while the four schools
of Tibetan Buddhism and the traditional Bon faith elect
two members each. Three members are elected by the exiled
Tibetan community in the West - two from Europe and one
from north America. In addition, one to three members
with distinction in the fields of art, science and literature
and community service are nominated directly by His Holiness
the Dalai Lama. Sessions of the Parliament are held twice
every year, with an interval of six months. However, Tibetan
spiritual leader the 14th Dalai Lama can summon special
sessions of the Parliament in the case of national emergencies.
Tibetans protest on 50th anniversary of uprising
New
Delhi: Hundreds of Tibetan exiles on Tuesday staged
a protest rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the failed
Tibetan uprising against the Chinese rule. The Nobel Prize-winning
Tibetans spiritual guru the Dalai Lama marked March 10
with a speech in Dharamshala district of Himachal Pradesh.
He called for a meaningful autonomy of his homeland, and
slammed Beijing for bringing untold suffering and destruction
to Tibet. Tibetan Youth Congress Public Relations Secretary
Konchok Yangphel said that their struggle would never
die. “From last 50 years, we are struggling for the complete
independence of Tibet. Our movement will never die. We
will continue with our movement for the coming 50 years,”
Yangphel said. Meanwhile, Tibetan struggle found a support
from a Chinese James Lung Wei in Dharamsala. “We Chinese
people came here today because 50 years ago, Chinese Communist
Party attacked Lhasa, Tibetans and Holiness Dalai Lama.
We are very sorry about that. We feel that we should support
Tibetan people,” Wei said. Earlier on Monday, the Chinese
President Hu Jintao had demanded a ‘Great Wall’ of stability
in Tibet. His demand came as security forces across the
mountainous region played down the risk of renewed protests
from discontented Tibetans. Beijing fears the unrest that
challenged its rule in Tibet last year. Last year, protests
led by Tibetans against Chinese rule in Lhasa, gave way
to rioting on March 14.
- Mar 10, 2009
