His Holiness the Dalai Lama: It is difficult to judge whether these kind of methods are right or wrong. They are expressing in a non-violent way regarding the Chinese policies [in Tibet].
A C: One young Tibetan set himself on fire two days ago left an online statement that read: “If we reflect on the past we can see nothing but signs of defeat, anger, anguish and tears.” What should your people do to express these feelings? Do you support their decisions to set themselves on fire? Do you want them stop setting themselves on fire?
HHDL: I always consider myself as the free spokesman of the Tibetan people, and not their boss. My boss is actually the six million Tibetans in Tibet. I am in free country and quite comfortable. But they are passing through a very desperate situation, so they take these decisions. I am quite certain that those who sacrificed their lives with sincere motivation, for Buddha dharma and for the wellbeing of the people, from the Buddhist or religious view points, is positive. But if these acts are carried out with full anger and hatred, then it is wrong. So it is difficult to judge. But it is really very sad, very very sad.
AC: Through out history, the least powerful are repressed by the powerful. And in some cases, the powerless fight.
HHDL: The struggle, which we are carrying out, is a struggle between power of truth and the power of gun. For short term, the power of gun is much stronger, but in the long run, the power of truth is more stronger than power of gun. That is my fundamental belief.
“Stop the repression and self-immolation would stop,” said Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay during his address to the Regional Council of Piemonte, Torino, Italy.
There is no space for protest in Tibet, thus the Tibetans are resorting to self-immolation. In late June, a 17-year-old girl named Jigme Dolma protested in Kardze region of eastern Tibet. The Chinese security forces beat her and two months later, she was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
“Political repression, economic marginalisation, environmental destruction and cultural assimilation in Tibet by the Chinese government are leading to self-immolations by the Tibetans,” Dr. Sangay said.
