Dalai Lama Threatens to ‘resign’ if Tibet Violence Escalates
Posted on March 18, 2008 - Filed Under China, Tibet |
Angered by Chinese leaders and radicals within Tibet, the Dalai Lama announced that he was prepared to “resign” in protest over the violence in Tibet. “If things become out of control then my only option is to completely resign,” the Dalai Lama told a news conference in India. He also refuted any notion that he was responsible for coordinating the protests.
But that’s not the truth, according to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. He pointed the finger at the Dalai Lama and his supporters for the unrest. “There is ample fact and we also have plenty of evidence proving that this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique,” Wen said in a news conference.
Technically speaking, the Dalai Lama cannot resign as the spiritual leader of Tibet, as he is revered as the re-incarnation of his predecessor. Later, after his comments, a spokesman clarified it to mean he would resign as the political role as leader-in-exile. The strong words by the Dalai Lama are seen by experts as a way to insert his moral authority into the conflict as a wall to end the violence.
Since the violence began last week, there are reports of up to 100 dead. According to those present some were killed by beating, asphyxiation or were burned to death. China had set a deadline for the protesters to turn themselves in yesterday in order to receive a ‘lenient’ punishment. There is no word as to what China will do with those remain at-large.
Unlike many of the Tibetan protesters the Dalai Lama is not in favor of independence from China. He called such a move “out of the question” and urged the people of Tibet to live side-by-side with the Chinese.
You can view the entire press conference of the Dalai Lama on his website. Yes, even religious leaders are Internet-savvy these days.
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2 Responses to “Dalai Lama Threatens to ‘resign’ if Tibet Violence Escalates”
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Many of the grievances that the Tibetans have is failure to share in China’s economic boom, yet they forget to realise that Tibet is is an area of poor terrain and geographically it is in the wilderness. The new railway linking the east with the west will boost Tibet’s economy.
They are looking for the other thing than economic boom sharing that chinese won’t blink. They are looking for religious domination which lead to indepandency in the area. seems the Dalai lama has lost his control/influrences over the new generation of tibetans.