The 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, said Monday in an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun that his government in exile is not seeking independence from China, but “genuine autonomy.”
During the interview, held in a Tokyo hotel, the 68-year-old Tibetan Buddhist leader and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate said the Chinese government should apply the “one-country, two-systems” framework it has introduced in Hong Kong and Macao to Tibet.
The Dalai Lama said China was paying an insufficient level of respect to political rights and economic gains of Tibetans. He added that Tibetans are one of the poorest groups in China as they are often deprived of economic opportunities.
Beijing is unlikely to respond to the Dalai Lama’s request, as China has four other ethnic autonomous regions. Making an exception for Tibet would likely stimulate separatist and independence movements by ethnic minorities in the other regions.
Citing the 17-point agreement the Chinese government signed with Tibet in 1951, which guaranteed Tibet autonomy, the Dalai Lama urged Beijing to restore and guarantee greater autonomy in Tibet.
The Dalai Lama’s government in exile has revived direct contact with Beijing–previously severed since 1993– by sending special envoys to China in September 2002 and May this year.
Although the Dalai Lama said distrust and suspicion of Beijing have hampered his efforts to resume substantial dialogue, he said he was aware of the need to enhance confidence building between the two parties through direct contact.
The Dalai Lama added that his government had already proposed another dispatch of its envoy.
As conditions for talks, the Chinese authorities have urged the Dalai Lama’s side to abandon their request for Tibetan independence, halt separatist movements, accept the legitimacy of the Chinese government and concede that Taiwan is an integral part of China.
Regarding Taiwan, the Dalai Lama avoided commenting on it in detail, saying, “Let them (the Taiwanese) decide (on the issue).”
He showed his intention to accept the other three conditions, however.
If talks with China stagnates and the presence of ethnic Han Chinese becomes more visible in the region, Tibet is likely to become increasingly be sinicized, political observers said, adding that the “one-country, two-systems” framework is apparently all the Dalai Lama is able to offer at this time.
After the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule in Tibet, the Dalai Lama fled to India and established his government in exile.
Since then, he has called on the international community to help formulate a peaceful solution to free his homeland.
