» 03/19/2008 12:20 INDIA - TIBET – CHINA Dalai Lama says he will not resign, but will step aside for democracy Kesang Takla, Foreign Minister for the exiled Tibetan government explains to AsiaNews that the Buddhist leaders’ statement was misinterpreted. The Dalai Lama may step down from temporal power, but not spiritual leadership, in exchange for democratic progress in Tibet.
Dharamsala (AsiaNews) – The Dalai Lama “has no intention of resigning, but he is ready to step aside for democracy in Tibet”, Kesang Takla, Foreign Minister for the Tibetan government in exile tells AsiaNews. He adds: “Western media misinterpreted the words of our leader: what he meant was that, if he is the problem, then he is ready to cede his temporal power in exchange for real democracy in the country”.
The lama Geshe Gedun Tharchin, founder and spiritual director of the Lamrim Institute for Tibetan Culture, as well as professor at Rome’s Institute for Oriental and African Studies, explains: “The Dalai Lama cannot resign. His role as spiritual leader is an integral part of his person; he was born and will die as such. What he meant is that he could step down from leadership of the exiled government, but only if China consents to begin process of real democracy in Tibet”.
The reference is to Sino-Tibetan dialogue, unilaterally interrupted by Beijing last year. China accuses the Dalai Lama of being a dangerous secessionist, and has declared that it wants “nothing more to do with him”.Lama Geshe explains that “in light of this, our leader could step aside, but nothing more. Moreover, with those words he wished to emphasise that he is not a dictator and that the Tibetan violence has had a profound affect on him”.
In the interim, the Chinese regime continues its attacks on the Tibetan leader.Secretary of the Tibetan Communist party, Zhang Qingli, described the Dalai Lama as “a monster, a wolf with a human face and the heart of an animal”, and he underlined: “we are in the middle of a harsh and bloody battle with the Dalai Lama’s clique, a battle for life and death against a ferocious enemy”.
In view of this “ferocious battle”, the local government has ordered the arrests of hundreds of people across Tibet. According to Beijing 105 “dissidents” have “spontaneously” given themselves in to authorities: moreover, once again the use of force against protesters has been denied, who according to Communist propaganda “killed innocent civilians”.
