Dharamsala, May 13 – The Special Envoy of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama has urged China to respond positively to a request by the Tibetan leader to visit Kyegudo in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham, now incorporated into Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai province.
Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, the Special Envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was speaking yesterday to the Voice of America in the Tibetan program Kunleng. Gyari strongly criticized Chinese allegations of exploitation by the Tibetan government in exile in relation to the earthquake.
Gyari said, “If the Chinese leaders are able to make the far-sighted decision to allow His Holiness the Dalai Lama to visit Kyegundu, then it will create unprecedented good will among Tibetans everywhere, especially Tibetans most affected by the earthquake.”
Gyari said that he was in touch with the concerned officials in the People’s Republic of China about the request.
At a press conference on April 17, the Dalai Lama had expressed his willingness to go to Kyegudu to pray for the victims of the catastrophe and offer spiritual comfort to them but there has been no response from China.
He also appreciated the Chinese leadership, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, for visiting Kyegudo and overseeing the relief efforts. Official Chinese figures put the death toll at 2,183 but the exile Tibetans contend the figure saying thousands more have died.
The Special Envoy who has led the Tibetan delegation in nine round of talks with the Chinese leadership said that it is “regrettable that in such a tragic situation some people in China are deliberately creating dissension and obstructing progress towards a harmonious society by making statements that distort the facts. He referred particularly to remarks alleging that the Tibetan exile leadership was exploiting the situation by conducting fundraising in the name of a worldwide relief effort.
“It is the moral responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan leadership and Tibetans around the world to do whatever we can to help the injured and traumatized in a time of great need. Yet, anticipating that Chinese authorities would resist such an effort, the Tibetan leadership did not make any public appeal for donations until after Chairman Jia Qinglin’s April 19 statement welcoming donations from all overseas Tibetans. Only then did the Kashag urge the exile Tibetans to contribute to the relief of Tibetans in Kyegudo through an committee established solely for this purpose by volunteers from Kyegudo who now reside in Dharamsala, India,” Gyari said.
