Dharamshala, March 18 – Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche has said the Dalai Lama is not against Chinese people migrating to Tibet.
Reacting to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s comments, Rinpoche said “His Holiness wants nothing more than to preserve Tibet’s culture”, adding that they have nothing to do with the Taiwan issue.
Jiaboa, in his annual conference in Beijing on March 16, called the Dalai Lama a secessionist who wants the majority Han community and other non-Tibetan ethnic people to be moved out of Tibet.
“They are saying His Holiness (Dalai Lama) is demanding for the repulsion of the non-Tibetans in Tibet. His Holiness never said that. The demographic change which caused the disappearance of the Tibetan spiritual and cultural heritage and Tibetans becoming a minority in their own land is not good. So, according to law, if the Tibetan issue is resolved, His Holiness and the Tibetan people would see to it that the ordinary Chinese people living in Tibet should not have any problem,” Rinpoche said.
He added that the Dalai Lama wants autonomy and has advocated China’s integrity.
“The international community has supported our cause. Large numbers of Chinese people including the Communist party cares are supporting His Holiness’ proposition of the middle path. Therefore sooner or later China shall have to talk. We are just waiting, we are just preparing ourselves,” said Rinpoche.
Wen also said that so long as the Dalai Lama recognizes Tibet and Taiwan are an inalienable part of China, talks could be held.
The Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama set up his seat of power in Dharamsala after he and his followers fled to India in 1959, nine years after China occupied Tibet.
Now 71, the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his peaceful campaign against the Chinese rule has renounced any goal of independence and says he only wants more autonomy for Tibet.
