The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, said that despite intense opposition from mainland China, he will continue to visit Taiwan, although he has no intention to talk about political issues during his trips.
The India-based Dalai Lama, who is currently on a visit to the United States September 4-24, made the remarks in an interview by the Voice of America Thursday.
The Dalai Lama reaffirmed that the future of Taiwan will be left to the Taiwan people themselves. He did not comment further. He said that he had faced vitriolic attacks from mainland China for each of his two previous visits to Taiwan. Official mainland opinion had branded his visits as joining forces with the advocates of Tibetan and Taiwan independence, a position he said he did not agree with.
He stressed that his visits are mainly to interact within Han Chinese society, adding that he wants to engage with the Han people in mainland China more because the mainland is still a predominantly Han society.
But he said that mainland China is currently not as free as Taiwan and it is impossible to have a free engagement.
He said with a smile that if he really sought Tibetan independence, he would not go to Taiwan, as Taiwan believes Tibet is a part of China.
He stressed that he would not meet with political leaders on purpose, as he has no interest in talking politics in Taiwan, but he would not shun political leaders who wish to meet with him.
The Dalai Lama said that he will visit Taiwan, but stressed that the purpose will be strictly religious in nature.
The Nobel peace prize winner said that he is willing to return to Tibet as a monk, and persuade the Tibetans advocating independence that it would be more beneficial for the economy and development of Tibet to remain part of the People’s Republic of China.
He also said that his return must be under the conditions of being able to contact freely with Tibetans and freely express his views.
He stressed that he is unwilling to return in similar circumstances as his two envoys who were given no chance to meet with Tibetan people while visiting Lhasa.
He said that he would use his moral authority to dissuade those Tibetans who have their minds set on independence, arguing that given modern economic conditions, separatism is not in Tibet’s best interest.
On China’s request that he accepts the policy of “one abdication and two acknowledgements, ” meaning the giving up of independence and separatist activities, acknowledging that Tibet is the inalienable part of China and that Taiwan is a province of that China, the Dalai Lama said that he doesn’t accept that Tibet is a part of the PRC.
He acknowledged that after the signing of an agreement in 1951, Tibet indeed became an autonomous region of the PRC, but he doesn’t accept China’s rhetoric that “Taiwan has been part of China historically.”
He said that history has different views on the status of Tibet, and since history is fixed, it will be impossible for the communists to change it.
He stressed that he wasn’t concerned about history, and he is only determined to seek autonomy, not independence for Tibet.
(Central News Agency)
