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Dalai Lama
The time is right to free Tibet
By DALAI LAMA
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
POSTED AT 10:55 PM EST         Tuesday, Mar. 9, 2004
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Today we commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Tibetan people's uprising of 1959 against the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. I pay tribute to the many brave Tibetan men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibetan freedom. They will always be remembered.
This year marks 50 years since my visit to mainland China in 1954, to meet with the Chinese leaders of that time, especially Mao Zedong. I remember very well that I embarked on the journey with deep concerns about the future of Tibet. I was assured by all the leaders I met that the Chinese presence in Tibet was to work for the welfare of the Tibetans and to help develop Tibet. While in China I also learned about internationalism and socialism, which deeply impressed me. So I returned to Tibet with optimism and confidence that a peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence could be worked out.
Unfortunately, soon after my return, China was embroiled in unrest unleashed by radical political campaigns. Those developments affected the Chinese policy on Tibet, resulting in more repression and rigidity, leading finally to the Tibetan people's uprising in March of 1959.
My hope is that this year may see a significant breakthrough in our relations with the Chinese government. As in 1954, so today I am determined to leave no stone unturned in seeking a mutually beneficial solution that will address both Chinese concerns, as well as achieve for the Tibetan people a life of freedom, peace and dignity.
Despite the decades I have lived in exile, the Tibetan people continue to place tremendous trust and hope in me. I feel a great sense of responsibility to act as their free spokesman. In this regard, the fact that President Hu Jintao has personal knowledge of the situation and problems in Tibet can be a positive factor in finding a resolution. I am, therefore, willing to meet with today's leaders of China in the effort to secure a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan issue.
My envoys have established direct contact with the Chinese government on two trips to China: in September of 2002 and in May-June of 2003. It is a positive and welcome development, which was initiated during the presidency of Jiang Zemin. The matter of Tibet is complex and of crucial importance to Tibetans as well as the Chinese. Consequently, it requires careful consideration and serious deliberation on both sides before taking any decisions. It will take time, patience and determination to lead this process to a successful conclusion.
I consider it of highest importance to maintain the momentum and to intensify and deepen this process through regular face-to-face meetings and substantive discussions. That is the only way to dispel existing distrust and misconception, and to build trust and confidence.
Consequently, I have instructed my envoys to visit China at the earliest date to continue the process. I hope that they will be able to make the trip without much delay. That will help in building trust and confidence in the present process among Tibetans, as well as among our friends and supporters around the world, many of whom remain strongly skeptical about the willingness of Beijing to engage in a genuine process of rapprochement and dialogue.
The current situation in Tibet benefits neither the Tibetans nor the Chinese government. The development projects that the Chinese government has launched in Tibet, purportedly to benefit the Tibetan people, are having negative effects on the Tibetan people's distinct cultural, religion and linguistic identity.
More Chinese settlers are coming to Tibet, resulting in the economic marginalization of the Tibetan people and the intrusion of Chinese ways into their culture. Tibetans need to see an improvement in the quality of their life, the restoration of Tibet's pristine environment and the freedom to decide on an appropriate model of development.
I welcome the release of Ani Phuntsok Nyidron, even as we recognize the injustice of her sentence and continue to urge that all political prisoners in Tibet be released. The human-rights situation in Tibet has not seen any marked improvement, and violations have the distinct character of preventing Tibetans as a people from asserting their own identity and culture. The violations are a result of policies of racial and cultural discrimination and religious intolerance.
Against this background, we are encouraged and grateful that many individuals, governments and parliaments around the world have been urging China to resolve the question of Tibet through peaceful negotiations. Led by the European Union and the United States, there is growing realization in the international community that the issue of Tibet is not one of human-rights violations alone, but is of a deeper, political nature, which needs to be resolved through negotiations.
I am also encouraged by the recent improvements in the relationship between India and China. It has always been my belief that better understanding and relations between India and China, the two most populous nations of the world, is of vital importance for peace and stability in Asia, in particular, and the world in general. I believe that improved relations between India and China will create a more conducive political environment for the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue. I also strongly believe India can and should play a constructive and influential role in resolving the Tibetan problem peacefully. My middle-way approach should be an acceptable policy on Tibet for India as it addresses the Tibetan issue within the framework of China. A solution to the Tibetan issue through this approach would help India to resolve many of her disputes with China, too.
It is 54 years since the establishment of Communist China. During Mao Zedong's period, much emphasis was put on ideology, while Deng Xiaoping concentrated primarily on economic development. His successor Jiang Zemin broadened the base of the Communist Party by enabling wealthy people to become involved. In recent times, Hu Jintao and his colleagues were able to achieve a smooth transition of leadership.
During the past decades, China has made much progress, and the country is undergoing a process of deep change. In order to affect this change smoothly and without chaos and violence, I believe it is essential that there be more openness, greater freedom of information and proper awareness among the general public. We should seek truth from facts, facts that are not falsified. Without this China cannot hope to achieve genuine stability.
I am hopeful that China will become more open and eventually more democratic. I have for many years advocated that the change and transformation of China should take place smoothly and without major upheavals. This is in the interest of not only the Chinese people but also the world community.
China's emergence as a regional and global power is accompanied by concerns, suspicion and fears about her power. Hosting the Olympic Games and the 2010 Expo will not help to dispel those concerns. Unless Beijing addresses the lack of basic civil and political rights and freedoms of its citizens, especially with regard to minorities, China will continue to face difficulties in reassuring the world that she is a peaceful, responsible, constructive and forward-looking power.
The Tibetan issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for a maturing China to act as a global player with vision and values of openness, freedom, justice and truth. A constructive and flexible approach to the issue of Tibet will go a long way in creating a political climate of trust, confidence and openness, both domestically and internationally. A peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue will have wide-ranging positive impacts on China's transition and transformation onto a modern, open and free society. There is now a window of opportunity for the Chinese leadership to act with courage and farsightedness in resolving the Tibetan issue once and for all.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude for the consistent support that we have been receiving throughout the world. I would also like to express once again, on behalf of the Tibetans, our appreciation and immense gratitude to the people and the government of India for their unwavering and unmatched generosity and support.
With my prayers for the well-being of all sentient beings. Tehnzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He lives in India.
© 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The time is right to free Tibet
By DALAI LAMA
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
POSTED AT 10:55 PM EST         Tuesday, Mar. 9, 2004
Advertisement
Today we commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Tibetan people's uprising of 1959 against the Chinese invasion and occupation of Tibet. I pay tribute to the many brave Tibetan men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibetan freedom. They will always be remembered.
This year marks 50 years since my visit to mainland China in 1954, to meet with the Chinese leaders of that time, especially Mao Zedong. I remember very well that I embarked on the journey with deep concerns about the future of Tibet. I was assured by all the leaders I met that the Chinese presence in Tibet was to work for the welfare of the Tibetans and to help develop Tibet. While in China I also learned about internationalism and socialism, which deeply impressed me. So I returned to Tibet with optimism and confidence that a peaceful and mutually beneficial co-existence could be worked out.
Unfortunately, soon after my return, China was embroiled in unrest unleashed by radical political campaigns. Those developments affected the Chinese policy on Tibet, resulting in more repression and rigidity, leading finally to the Tibetan people's uprising in March of 1959.
My hope is that this year may see a significant breakthrough in our relations with the Chinese government. As in 1954, so today I am determined to leave no stone unturned in seeking a mutually beneficial solution that will address both Chinese concerns, as well as achieve for the Tibetan people a life of freedom, peace and dignity.
Despite the decades I have lived in exile, the Tibetan people continue to place tremendous trust and hope in me. I feel a great sense of responsibility to act as their free spokesman. In this regard, the fact that President Hu Jintao has personal knowledge of the situation and problems in Tibet can be a positive factor in finding a resolution. I am, therefore, willing to meet with today's leaders of China in the effort to secure a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan issue.
My envoys have established direct contact with the Chinese government on two trips to China: in September of 2002 and in May-June of 2003. It is a positive and welcome development, which was initiated during the presidency of Jiang Zemin. The matter of Tibet is complex and of crucial importance to Tibetans as well as the Chinese. Consequently, it requires careful consideration and serious deliberation on both sides before taking any decisions. It will take time, patience and determination to lead this process to a successful conclusion.
I consider it of highest importance to maintain the momentum and to intensify and deepen this process through regular face-to-face meetings and substantive discussions. That is the only way to dispel existing distrust and misconception, and to build trust and confidence.
Consequently, I have instructed my envoys to visit China at the earliest date to continue the process. I hope that they will be able to make the trip without much delay. That will help in building trust and confidence in the present process among Tibetans, as well as among our friends and supporters around the world, many of whom remain strongly skeptical about the willingness of Beijing to engage in a genuine process of rapprochement and dialogue.
The current situation in Tibet benefits neither the Tibetans nor the Chinese government. The development projects that the Chinese government has launched in Tibet, purportedly to benefit the Tibetan people, are having negative effects on the Tibetan people's distinct cultural, religion and linguistic identity.
More Chinese settlers are coming to Tibet, resulting in the economic marginalization of the Tibetan people and the intrusion of Chinese ways into their culture. Tibetans need to see an improvement in the quality of their life, the restoration of Tibet's pristine environment and the freedom to decide on an appropriate model of development.
I welcome the release of Ani Phuntsok Nyidron, even as we recognize the injustice of her sentence and continue to urge that all political prisoners in Tibet be released. The human-rights situation in Tibet has not seen any marked improvement, and violations have the distinct character of preventing Tibetans as a people from asserting their own identity and culture. The violations are a result of policies of racial and cultural discrimination and religious intolerance.
Against this background, we are encouraged and grateful that many individuals, governments and parliaments around the world have been urging China to resolve the question of Tibet through peaceful negotiations. Led by the European Union and the United States, there is growing realization in the international community that the issue of Tibet is not one of human-rights violations alone, but is of a deeper, political nature, which needs to be resolved through negotiations.
I am also encouraged by the recent improvements in the relationship between India and China. It has always been my belief that better understanding and relations between India and China, the two most populous nations of the world, is of vital importance for peace and stability in Asia, in particular, and the world in general. I believe that improved relations between India and China will create a more conducive political environment for the peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue. I also strongly believe India can and should play a constructive and influential role in resolving the Tibetan problem peacefully. My middle-way approach should be an acceptable policy on Tibet for India as it addresses the Tibetan issue within the framework of China. A solution to the Tibetan issue through this approach would help India to resolve many of her disputes with China, too.
It is 54 years since the establishment of Communist China. During Mao Zedong's period, much emphasis was put on ideology, while Deng Xiaoping concentrated primarily on economic development. His successor Jiang Zemin broadened the base of the Communist Party by enabling wealthy people to become involved. In recent times, Hu Jintao and his colleagues were able to achieve a smooth transition of leadership.
During the past decades, China has made much progress, and the country is undergoing a process of deep change. In order to affect this change smoothly and without chaos and violence, I believe it is essential that there be more openness, greater freedom of information and proper awareness among the general public. We should seek truth from facts, facts that are not falsified. Without this China cannot hope to achieve genuine stability.
I am hopeful that China will become more open and eventually more democratic. I have for many years advocated that the change and transformation of China should take place smoothly and without major upheavals. This is in the interest of not only the Chinese people but also the world community.
China's emergence as a regional and global power is accompanied by concerns, suspicion and fears about her power. Hosting the Olympic Games and the 2010 Expo will not help to dispel those concerns. Unless Beijing addresses the lack of basic civil and political rights and freedoms of its citizens, especially with regard to minorities, China will continue to face difficulties in reassuring the world that she is a peaceful, responsible, constructive and forward-looking power.
The Tibetan issue represents both a challenge and an opportunity for a maturing China to act as a global player with vision and values of openness, freedom, justice and truth. A constructive and flexible approach to the issue of Tibet will go a long way in creating a political climate of trust, confidence and openness, both domestically and internationally. A peaceful resolution of the Tibetan issue will have wide-ranging positive impacts on China's transition and transformation onto a modern, open and free society. There is now a window of opportunity for the Chinese leadership to act with courage and farsightedness in resolving the Tibetan issue once and for all.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude for the consistent support that we have been receiving throughout the world. I would also like to express once again, on behalf of the Tibetans, our appreciation and immense gratitude to the people and the government of India for their unwavering and unmatched generosity and support.
With my prayers for the well-being of all sentient beings. Tehnzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, is the head of state and spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He lives in India.
© 2004 Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.