Varanasi, January 23 – Welcoming the revival of talks between China and the exiled Tibetan leadership, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has expressed hope that the imbriglio would be solved soon.
”We do not want Independence from China. We are pleading for genuine autonomy based on the rule of law,” he reiterated.
The Dalai Lama told newsmen at Sarnath near here that formal contacts between Tibetan leaders and Chinese authorities would give a direction to the solution of the Tibetan problem.
He said though China had declared Tibet as an autonomous region, there was a lack of genuine autonomy there. There is a huge gap between the words and deeds of Chinese leaders, he added.
Explaining the ”middle path” policy for solving the Tibetan problem, he said International support for the Tibetan cause and new understanding of the issue among Chinese people would force China to grant genuine autonomy to Tibet, a pre-condition for the regeneration of Tibetan culture and religion.
The Tibetan leader further said that the Institution of Dalai Lama would not be the chief executive of any future Tibetan government and the elected representatives of people would only govern the country. He said a representative from the government had already been elected by the exiled Tibetans through adult franchise.
About his next reincarnation, the Dalai lama said it depended on Tibetan people whether they wanted a Dalai lama. However, he said he might undertake reincarnation or put an end to the birth cycle.
”My activities were focussed on three issues– spread of Human values, commual harmony and Tibetan struggle. If the Tibetan issue was solved, I would concentrate on the other two issues which are so important for mankind”, he added.
The Dalai lama said that protection of environment should be the top priority for world leaders as it affected the very existence of human beings. In Tibet, the economic projects initiated by China were causing havoc with the environment there. This trend should be reversed for the well-being of all, he said.
