The Dalai Lama says he believes resolving the status of Tibet within China will help achieve genuine stability and unity for the whole country.
In a wide-ranging interview with the VOA Mandarin service in Washington, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said his ultimate goal is to win meaningful self-rule for Tibet inside China. He said that is the best way for the region to preserve its culture and environment.
The Dalai Lama said he thinks if China’s communist leadership granted real autonomy and democracy to Tibetans, it would have an immense impact on other ethnic and religious groups within the country. He said separation from China is not in the best interests of the Tibetan people, but cooperation is.
Beijing has labeled the Dalai Lama a “splittist” who is seeking independence for Tibet, despite his many statements to the contrary. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said he hopes the new administration, headed by President Hu Jintao, will undertake a new reality that will make it possible for Tibet to be free, while remaining a part of China.
The Dalai Lama’s envoys have visited China twice over the past year, the first direct contact between the two sides since 1993.
