By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, July 8: Exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Wednesday called on China to show restraint in dealing with the unrest in Xinjiang.
“I earnestly urge the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the situation in a spirit of understanding and far-sightedness,” the Tibetan leader, who turned 74 Monday, said in a statement on his website.
“I am deeply saddened and concerned with the worsening situation in East Turkestan (Xinjiang), especially with the tragic loss of lives,” the revered Nobel Peace laureate said.
The Dalai Lama said he would offer prayers for all those who lost their lives, their families and others affected by the latest tragedy.
According to figures released Monday, the deadly clashes that broke out Sunday in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, between the dominant Han ethnic group and minority Uighurs left atleast 156 people dead and around 1,000 injured.
Similar anti-China unrest broke out across Tibet last year. Despite repeated calls for restraint, Tibetan Government-in-Exile says, subsequent brutal crackdown by Chinese security forces on Tibetan demonstrations left more than 200 dead, several more seriously injured and some 1000 arrested. Independent rights groups say the figures could be even much higher.
Tibetans point out that the unrest in Tibet and East Turkestan are result of growing resentment against continuing Chinese rule in their own homelands.
