Dalai Lama Calls for End to Violence against Tibetans

Spiegel Online International
March 21 , 2008

	Deaths are mounting in Tibet and neighboring provinces in China and there is no end to the bloodshed in sight. In a meeting with international journalists, including SPIEGEL reporters, the Dalai Lama calls on the world to pressure China to stop using violence against Tibetan protesters. "We've been hearing about Chinese troop movements in remote regions.
"Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama: "These people are threatened with death." REUTERS

I am deeply alarmed that there may be many victims," the Dalai Lama said before a small group of journalists, including SPIEGEL reporters, on Thursday in the Indian town of Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile.

The protests of Tibetans against Chinese rule have spread in recent days to neighboring regions, where there are insufficient medical supplies, the Dalai Lama stated. Speaking to the journalists, he appealed to the international community to apply pressure on China not to resort to the use of violence against protestors. "These people are threatened with death, and I am very sad about that," he said.

The Dalai Lama said he currently doesn't know how many people have been killed because reports have contained conflicting information. But the world, including our "Chinese brothers and sisters," must find out exactly what is happening inside China, he said. Even after the current crisis, he said, he would be prepared at any time to travel to Beijing and speak to China's leaders. As a condition, however, he said that Beijing must show "concrete signs" that it is prepared for serious negotiations. He said he wanted to avoid raising any false hopes amongst the Tibetans.
The 73-year-old religious leader was reacting to statements made by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. In a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Wen said that Beijing was prepared to talk to the Dalai Lama. The condition, however, would be that he could not demand independence for Tibet and he would have to distance himself from the violence.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a "separatist and traitor," who talks of autonomy but really means the independence of Tibet from China. The Dalai Lama calls for broad autonomy for Tibet, not only for the current so-called "Tibet Autonomous Region," but also for areas in the neighboring provinces of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan which have large Tibetan populations.
When asked by SPIEGEL ONLINE whether he might be ready to limit his autonomy plan to just central Tibet, the Dalai Lama said no. The proposal to include other areas as well proves that he has no separatist intentions, he said. For the Tibetans, the only important thing is to "protect their culture."

"I have now repeated a thousand times, it is my mantra: We do not want independence," he said. The Chinese government should take seriously their constitution, which talks of autonomy for certain regions, he added. "It should not only be on paper," said the Dalai Lama.

He repeated his threat to give up his position as a political leader. Should the violence in Tibet spiral out of control and the majority of Tibetans choose violence, "then I will resign," he said.

When asked about the recent statements by Chinese politicians that he was a "devil incarnate," he responded calmly. Such remarks are intended for "internal use" in China, he said -- Beijing is trying to manipulate the Chinese people. He said he had the impression that even China's leaders are provided with "distorted facts" by their subordinates.

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