DHARAMSHALA, April 16: The Tibetan government in exile, officially known as the Central Tibetan Administration, has expressed its disappointment over the Chinese government’s White Paper released on Wednesday.
“The Chinese government’s attempt to portray the Middle Way Policy as an attempt by Tibetans to strike out for independence is deliberately misleading, a huge indication of the government’s total failure to come up with better ideas,” said the Tibetan government in exile in a press release issued in response to China’s white paper.
The Tibetan government called the White Paper “frenzied” and a belated reaction on the part of the Chinese government to the renewed, ongoing campaign on the Middle Way Policy launched last year by the Central Tibetan Administration.
“On the contrary, the Middle Way Policy seeks genuine autonomy within the framework of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China which is a win-win proposition for all parties and one lauded throughout the world including various governments.”
The Tibetan Government said the Chinese White Paper has tried to belittle His Holiness the Dalai Lama by questioning his sincerity in dealing with China. “His Holiness the Dalai Lama, admired around the world and revered by the Tibetan people, does not need any certificate on his motivation from the Chinese government. His Holiness the Dalai Lama remains the unquestioned leader of the Tibetan people and also admired by Chinese people around the world,” the statement further said.
Chinese government on Wednesday released a white paper on Tibet denouncing the Middle Way Approach proposed by the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and said “there is no prospect of [a “high degree of autonomy” for Tibet] ever coming to pass.”
The white paper, released by the Information Office of the State Council, claims that the essential intent of the Middle Way is to split China by feigning acceptance of Chinese sovereignty so “Tibetan independence” forces can establish a “state within a state” and ultimately effect secession once its governing power is consolidated.
The paper also describes the Middle Way as antithetical to “China’s history, national reality, state Constitution, laws and basic systems.”
China further accused the Dalai Lama for instigating violence in Tibet and publishing “a self immolation guide”. Since 2009, 138 Tibetans have set themselves on fire in Tibet protesting against China’s occupation of Tibet and its hard line policies.
China has issued 13 white papers on Tibet since early 1990s, the exile government noted that China is having great difficulty in convincing potential customers to buy its arguments on Tibet and described the paper “too unconvincing and too late to arrest the worsening conditions in Tibet.”
