NEW DELHI, January 18 – The Tibetan government-in-exile says it has not received an official Chinese response to its request for autonomy.
The request was presented by the Dalai Lama’s envoys two months ago.
Beijing has commented on it to other countries, but not to the Tibetans.
Samdhong Rinpoche, the prime minister of the government-in-exile, called the Chinese response “very funny” because they are explaining their views on the open memo abroad, but not at home.
Rinpoche spoke at an interfaith meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi, which was also attended by the Dalai Lama.
The memo said Tibet does not want independence, but a meaningful autonomy to ensure the survival of the region’s unique Buddhist culture.
“(Autonomy) is intended to ensure the protection of the culture and the identity of minority nationalities by powering them to become masters of their own affairs,” the memo said.
A telephone call to the Chinese Foreign Ministry was not answered Saturday.
Critics and rights groups say an influx of majority Han Chinese to Tibet combined with Beijing’s tight restrictions on the practice of Tibetan Buddhism are eroding the people’s identity.
Zhu Weiqun, vice minister of the Chinese United Front Work Department, described the autonomy request in November as an attempt to undermine Beijing’s authority in the region.
The Dalai Lama – who fled to India amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 – said his government-in-exile’s contact with Chinese officials was becoming difficult.
He added that his faith toward them “is now becoming thinner and thinner.”
