“Helpless” in the face of Chinese aggression
Dharamsala (AsiaNews) – It is important for the “international community” to “follow up on their requests to China” and put pressure on Beijing “to consider Tibetan demands and stop the violence against Tibetans in Lhasa,” said Tsewang Rigzin, chairman of the Tibetan Youth Congress, one of the groups organising the exiles’ return march to Tibet. He spoke to AsiaNews about the situation in Tibet and the Dalai Lama’s position.
“China,” he said, “talks about rioters, but the protest was peaceful. It wants to spread false news.”
He disagrees with the Dalai Lama when the latter says that Tibetan do not want independence from Beijing, just greater autonomy.
“We Tibetans want independence; each one must fight for a free Tibet; it is our duty. This said, the Dalai Lama preaches non violence and we are following the same path.”
Rigzin is one the hundreds who began marching from Dharamsala on 11 March.
He also disagrees with the Dalai Lama when the latter says that the Olympics should not be boycotted because they are a positive event for China. For him “China does not deserve to hold the Olympics because of their human rights violations both within China and even more so in Tibet. It promised to uphold human rights but the Chinese government’s brutal repression of human rights are legion.”
“China is carrying out a sort of cultural genocide in Tibet intentionally or unintentionally,” said the Dalai Lama yesterday in a press conference.
When asked what might be done to stop the violence, the spiritual leader said: “I have no such power . . . . I do feel helpless.”
He made a strong case for an international probe into the Chinese crackdown to “find out what the situation is in Tibet and what the cause is.”
He expressed concern over what will happen once the Chinese ultimatum expires today because “the Chinese authorities want to stop protests by the use of weapons and Tibetans are equally determined to continue their protest.”
He further voiced suspicions that the death toll has probably reached “about 100”.
He added that India was being “too cautious” on the Tibet question.
For their part Indian authorities in carefully worded statement expressed hope that “all involved will work to improve the situation . . . in Tibet, an autonomous region of China, through dialogue and non-violent means.”
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17/03/2008
