[spectre] Fwd: [cr2004] copied from an interview of Dalai Lama
EAF Director
director at eaf.asn.au
Tue Mar 29 08:04:43 CEST 2005
>Delivered-To: cr2004 at douge.cim3.com
>X-Sender: countytam at pop.netvigator.com
>Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 12:18:35 +0800
>To: "Consciousness Reframed 2004" <cr2004 at dao.cim3.net>
>From: county <countytam at netvigator.com>
>Subject: [cr2004] copied from an interview of Dalai Lama
>
>Dear all,
>
>This is an interview of Dalai Lama published in
>a local newspaper (Hong Kong) a few days ago. I
>share this with you all here. You may be
>surprised to know Dalai Lama is willing to
>accept China's authority over Tibet. His
>consideration of a broader interest may allow us
>to rethink thoughtfully again the idea of
>humanity and the way the development of science
>of technology. I have included both the
>reporting article and an interview done by
>Laurence Brahm who have met Dalai Lama and
>Panchen Lama recently.
>
>County
>
>=============================
>From South China Morning Post, March 14, 2005
>Dalai Lama yields ground on Tibet self-rule
>We will accept China's authority if it preserves our culture, he says
>staff reporter
>
>The Dalai Lama has extended an olive branch to
>Beijing in a bid to resolve the decades-old
>political conflict over Tibetan independence.
>
>The exiled spiritual leader appears to have
>given up any demand for Tibetan self-governance
>and is willing to accept Chinese rule so long as
>Tibet's culture, spirituality and environment
>are preserved.
>
>In an interview published exclusively in the
>South China Morning Post today, the Dalai Lama
>indicates he is relinquishing his half-a-century
>struggle for Tibet's sovereignty in order to
>realize what he calls "broader interest" to
>allow his people to savour the success of
>China's rapid economic growth and
>accomplishments.
>
>"We want modernization. So for our own interest,
>we are willing to be pat of the People'sRepublic
>of China, to have the PRC govern and guarantee
>to preserve our Tibetan culture, spirituality
>and our environment," he said.
>
>The Dalai Lama said that by dropping the
>sovereignty claim for Tibet, his people would be
>able to benefit from China's economic
>achievements. This was in stark contrast to his
>previous stand, that Tibet should be a
>self-government domestic and political entity
>under a type of "one country, two systems"
>arrangement.
>
>"This is the message I wish to deliver to
>China," he said. "I am not in favour of
>separation. Tibet is a part of the People's
>Republic of China. It is an autonomous region of
>the People's republic of China. Tibetan culture
>and Buddhism are part of Chinese culture."
>
>The Dalai Lama's clear reference to the Chinese
>government, and Tibet being one of its
>autonomous regions, was tantamount to
>recognition of the Chinese Communist Party's
>rule and acceptance of Tibet's current status.
>This comments indicate he now seeks autonomy
>only on religious and cultural matters and not
>political, economic or diplomatic affairs.
>
>The 69-year-old spiritual leader expressed hope
>that Tibet could help develop China's "internal
>values" in the spiritual field through Buddhism,
>while the central government could expand
>"external values" through materialistic
>development such as economic and political
>governance. He denied his apparent climbdown
>came out of desperation, and stressed that "it
>comes out of broader interest".
>
>He pointed to Europe as an example of such
>broader interest. "In the European Union, each
>[country] carries self-interest but what is more
>important is common interest. It is more
>important than individual sovereignty. Currency
>is the most potent symbol of individual
>sovereignty, but they are willing to give it up
>to dissolve into the common interest."
>
>However, the Dalai Lama's change of heart has
>raised concerns of a growing rift between the
>moderates and the radicals within the
>government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala in
>northern India.
>
>The Chinese government has insisted that the
>Dalai Lama, who fled in 1959 after a failed
>uprising against Beijing, must accept that Tibet
>is an integral part of China and abandon his
>sovereignty right. In recent years, the Dalai
>Lama has been increasingly accommodating in his
>political maneuverings, pursuing a "middle way"
>that would ensure autonomy rather than
>independence and leave China in control of
>Tibet's foreign policy.
>
>Meanwhile, in an unprecedented interview with
>Post columnist Laurence Brahm, the
>Beijing-recognized 11th Panchen Lama sent a
>message of harmony, calling on Tibetans overseas
>to contribute to their homeland's economic
>development.
>
>The teenage religious leader, who is rarely seen
>in public, said:" I wish Tibetan people here and
>living abroad to love their country and home
>town, and put their efforts into economic
>development in their homeland."
>
>Both lamas were disillusioned with developments
>in the west, pointing out the limitations
>materialism has in satisfying humanity, and the
>need for more spirituality.
>
>The calls by both religious leaders could serve
>to create a rare window of opportunity for true
>dialogue to take place and speed up negotiations
>to pave the way for the homecoming of exiled
>Tibetans in the near future, analysts believe.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Conciliatory Dalai Lama expounds on winds of change
>Money is not sufficient. China is seeking a new spirituality, he says
>
>
>I met his Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in a
>Tibetan monastery near Buddha's Bodhi tree in
>India, where he had been leading prayers for
>world peace. In a private meeting, the exiled
>Tibetan spiritual leader expounded on the
>reasons for his olive-branch gesture to the
>Chinese government.
>
>The Dalai Lama greeted me at the entrance of his
>reception chamber, rather than waiting inside.
>He seemed anxious to talk and keen to know about
>the latest infrastructure in Tibet (¦èÂæ۪v°Ï)
>, specially roads, and economic conditions.
>Having filmed many remote regions throughout
>Tibet, I was able to present a clear picture of
>what I had seen.
>
>He then spoke, clearly with compassion: "This is
>the message I wish to deliver to China. I am not
>in favour of separation. Tibet is a part of the
>People's Republic of China. It is an autonomous
>region of the People's Republic of China.
>Tibetan culture and Buddhism are part of Chinese
>culture. Many young Chinese like Tibetan culture
>as a tradition of China."
>
>I was taken aback. The Dalai Lama's clear
>reference to the Chinese government and Tibet
>being an autonomous region was tantamount to
>recognition of the Chinese Communist Party's
>rule and acceptance of Tibet's current status. I
>asked for clarification.
>
>The Dalai Lama then explained his position. "As
>the material development of China moves forward
>we gain materially, like the railway. If we were
>a separate country it would be very difficult
>and we would not benefit," he said.
>
>The Tibetan government-in-exile has many
>factions. Moderates seek a solution and
>accommodation with Beijing, while radicals
>oppose compromise.
>
>The Dalai Lama explained: "The Tibetan youth
>organisation criticises me as taking this
>approach out of desperation."
>
>He shook his head. "No, it comes out of a broader interest."
>
>He pointed to Europe as an example of such
>interest. "In the European Union each [country]
>carries self-interest but what is more important
>is common interest. It is more important than
>individual sovereignty," he said. "Currency is
>the most potent symbol of individual sovereignty
>but they are willing to give it up to dissolve
>into common interest.
>
>"Tibet is underdeveloped and materially
>backwards. We want modernisation. So for our own
>interest, we are willing to be part of the
>People's Republic of China, to have it govern
>and guarantee to preserve our Tibetan culture,
>spirituality and our environment. But we can
>contribute to the spiritual side of China," he
>said, indicating knowledge of the Chinese
>Communis Party's search for new identity. "China
>seeks a new ideology. Marxism succeeded and
>worked for two decades. Then it became confused.
>This is because class struggle fostered hatred.
>Our teaching is non-violence. Now, the market
>ideology of capitalism fails to build meaningful
>society. Cultural heritage is easily destroyed.
>The CCP feels now that people must have money
>and this will give the party credibility. It
>must learn from the US and Europe that money
>alone does not fulfill human beings."
>
>The Dalai Lama's words could have been those
>delivered by President Hu Jintao (-JÀAÀÜ)
>discussing the CCP's crisis of ideology and the
>need to promote spirituality to balance China's
>newly embraced materialism. Suddenly I realised
>the gaps are really not so wide.
>
>"China is an ancient nation," the spiritual
>leader spoke passionately. "Money is not
>sufficient. China is seeking a new spirituality.
>Tibetan Buddhism is our own culture, one part of
>our own culture." In saying "our own" I realised
>he was including himself within China.
>
>"They [the CCP] find it easier to accept
>[Buddhism] rather than western religions like
>Christianity. With Buddhism in the spiritual
>field we can help with internal values, while
>the Chinese provide external values, and both
>will have mutual benefit. They will understand
>our centuries-old culture is rich. They will
>then respect Tibetan culture more and understand
>what we mean in our demand for meaning autonomy."
>
>The Dalai Lama apparently now sought only
>autonomy in guiding policies on religious and
>cultural matters, not political economic or
>diplomatic affairs, an official of the
>government-in-exile later said.
>
>I asked the Dalai Lama whether he was interested
>in visiting China. He replied: "It is in China's
>interest....As long as I am there I can make
>Tibetans calm. If I am not there, I do not know
>what will come. The Chinese government should
>use common sense rationally, not look at things
>with narrow perspective."
>
>The Dalai Lama seemed disillusioned with
>developments in the west. He condemned
>unilateralist "warfare, exploitation, science
>and technology used for killing, expanding
>imperialism and colonialism and discrimination,"
>but recognised the importance of democracy and
>the rule of law.
>
>-----------
>Laurence Brahm, filmmaker, author,
>lawyer-economist and Post columnist, is the only
>person known to have met both the Dalai and
>Panchen lamas. His independent neutral capacity
>has given him unprecedented access to both sides.
>
>
>
>
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