Tibet Information Office

Bochum, Germany, 16 May 2008 (AFP) - The Dalai Lama insisted Friday he is not seeking independence for Tibet, as he pressed ahead with a five-country Western tour two months after deadly violence erupted in his homeland.

“We want to live in peace with our Chinese brothers and sisters,” the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader told a news conference in the western city of Bochum on the second day of a visit to Germany.

“We are not seeking independence,” but merely greater autonomy and more respect for Tibet culture, religion and language, he said.

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The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration organised a special prayer session for the victims of the powerful earthquake that rocked southwestern parts of China, at the main Buddhist temple in Dharamshala, India, on 14 May 2008/File Photo:Sangjey Kep

Dharamshala: The Department of Religion and Culture of the Central Tibetan Administration organised a special prayer session Wednesday for the victims of the devastating earthquake that rocked southwestern parts of China.

The special prayer congregation was led by monks of the Namgyal Monastery at the Tsuglagkhang (main temple) in Dharamshala, on 14 May.

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Ever since peaceful protests erupted in Tibet, starting from 10 March, the Chinese government used the full force of its state media to fling a series of allegations against the “Dalai Clique”. These allegations range from His Holiness the Dalai Lama masterminding the recent Tibet protest to His Holiness the Dalai Lama making attempts to restore feudalism in Tibet.

This is the first in a series of response by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to these accusations.

The Chinese translation of this response is available at www.xizang-zhiye.org
The Tibetan translation is available on the Tibetan edition of this website www.tibet.net/tb/

Chinese Government’s Blaming and Shaming Game: PART ONE

Since 10 March a series of massive demonstrations rocked all over Tibet¹. Beijing made several allegations. Beijing accused “the Dalai clique of masterminding” these demonstrations. Beijing said these demonstrations were “violent” and organised by “terrorists,” and these demonstrations were aimed at “splitting Tibet from the motherland.” Premier Wen Jiabao told that the international media on 18 March 2008 that his government had “ample facts and plenty of evidence to prove that the recent riot in Lhasa was organised, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai Lama clique.”

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13 May 2008: Karze (Ch: Ganzi) County, Karze “TAP”, Kham (incorporated into Chinese Province of Sichuan) - Nuns and monks protested at county headquarters

Lobsang Choeden, Palden Tsultrim and Lobsang Tenpa (age 20), monks from Karze monastery, in Karze County, peacefully protested at county headquarters on 13 May. All of them were arrested thereafter. Further details are not available.

A day before, on 12 May, ten nuns peacefully protested at county headquarters which resulted in their arrest by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and People’s Armed Police (PAP). A few nuns, including Tragha, were severely beaten.

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Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, discusses the uprising in his native Tibet, why he doesn’t support protests against the Olympic torch relay and his proposals for a compromise with Beijing.

SPIEGEL: Your Holiness, have you already received your invitation for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing?

His Holiness: The Chinese have chosen a different option: not to invite me, but to exclude me. And to blame me. Just yesterday, the Tibet Daily in Lhasa wrote some harsh words about me, once again. Your fellow journalists there are very inventive.

SPIEGEL: Some of the expressions we remember from the last few weeks include: criminal, traitor, separatist and then, coming from the head of the Communist Party of the Tibet Autonomous Region: “A wolf in monk’s robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast.” Does this name-calling hurt?

His Holiness: Oh no, not at all. You forgot “demon,” by the way. These are just empty words. If using this sort of language to describe me makes the Chinese officials happy, then they should continue. I will also be happy to provide a blood sample, so that scientists can determine whether I am man or beast. But what I do condemn to the fullest and consider a serious human rights violation is when the Chinese authorities force the Tibetans in my native Tibet to vilify me and, while threatening them, to compel them to denounce me in writing.

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I am deeply saddened by the loss of many lives and many more who have been injured in the catastrophic earthquake that struck Sichuan province of China. I would like to extend my deep sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those families who have been directly affected by the strong earthquake on 12 May 2008. I offer my prayers for those who have lost their lives and those injured in the quake.

The Dalai Lama

7 May 2008: Ngapa (Ch: Aba) County, Ngapa “TAP”, Amdo (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) - Thousands of PAP raided Labrang monastery and arrested 149 monks

Few thousands of People’s Armed Police (PAP) arrived, without any notice, at the Labrang monastery, Ngapa County, and conducted raid on 7 May. 149 monks were also arrested after the raid.

On 8 May, the remaining huge number of monks protested for the release of the arrested monks. Chinese authority, in order to avoid the protest to gain further intense, had to release all the monks, except 18.

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Is there a method to Beijing’s madness regarding the Olympics? Obviously there is. But if the objective is to make China look good, its ruling oligarchy is going the wrong way.

They found themselves wrong-footed when the Olympic torch relay became entangled with the Tibetan human-rights issue. All their heaving and weaving about the unrest in Tibet failed to convince audiences abroad that it was the work of the Dalai Lama clique involving some wayward monks.

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16 April 2008: Chushul (Ch: Chushui) County, Lhasa municipality - Fifty monks arrested after PAP conducts raid at 4 am in the morning

Around 4 am on 16 April, huge numbers of People’s Armed Police (PAP) surrounded Ratoe monastery, in Nyethang Townhip, Chushul County. Monks were summoned to the monastery courtyard and told to give up their arms (if they had any). A raid was then conducted at the monastery.

Portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, political books and materials and mobile phones belonging to 70 monks’ were confiscated. In addition, the telephone of the monastery was confiscated too.

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