Today I would like to make a personal appeal to all Chinese spiritual
brothers and sisters, both inside as well as outside the People?s Republic
of China, and especially to the followers of the Buddha. I do this as a
Buddhist monk and a student of our most revered teacher, the Buddha. I
have already made an appeal to the general Chinese community. Here I am
appealing to you, my spiritual brothers and sisters, on an urgent
humanitarian matter.
The Chinese and the Tibetan people share common spiritual heritage in
Mahayana Buddhism. We wor****p the Buddha of Compassion ? Guan Yin in the
Chinese tradition and Chenrezig in Tibetan tradition ? and cherish
compassion for all suffering beings as one of the highest spiritual
ideals.
Furthermore, since Buddhism flourished in China before it came to Tibet
from India, I have always viewed the Chinese Buddhists with the reverence
due to senior spiritual brothers and sisters.
As most of you are aware, beginning with the 10th of March this year, a
series of demonstrations have taken place in Lhasa and across many Tibetan
areas. These are caused by deep Tibetan resentment against the policies
of
the Chinese government. I have been deeply saddened by the loss of life,
both Chinese and Tibetans, and immediately appealed to both the Chinese
authorities and the Tibetans for restraint. I specially appealed to the
Tibetans not to resort to violence.
Unfortunately, the Chinese authorities have resorted to brutal methods to
deal with the development despite appeals for restraint by many world
leaders, NGOs and noted world citizens, particularly many Chinese
scholars.
In the process, there has been loss of life, injuries to many, and the
detention of large number of Tibetans. The crackdown still continues,
especially targeting monastic institutions, which have traditionally been
the repository of ancient Buddhist knowledge and tradition. Many of these
have been sealed off. We have re****ts that many of those detained are
beaten and treated harshly. These repressive measures seem to be part of
an
officially sanctioned systematic policy.
With no international observers, journalists or even tourists allowed to
Tibet, I am deeply worried about the fate of the Tibetans. Many of those
injured in the crackdown, especially in the remote areas, are too
terrified
to seek medical treatment for fear of arrest. According to some reliable
sources, people are fleeing to the mountains where they have no access to
food and shelter. Those who remained behind are living in a constant
state
of fear of being the next to be arrested.
I am deeply pained by this ongoing suffering. I am very worried where all
these tragic developments might lead to ultimately. I do not believe that
repressive measures can achieve any long-term solution. The best way
forward is to resolve the issues between the Tibetans and the Chinese
leader****p through dialogue, as I have been advocating for a long time. I
have repeatedly assured the leader****p of the People?s Republic of China
that I am not seeking independence. What I am seeking is a meaningful
autonomy for the Tibetan people that would ensure the long-term survival
of
our Buddhist culture, our language and our distinct identity as a people.
The rich Tibetan Buddhist culture is part of the larger cultural heritage
of the People?s Republic of China and has the potential to benefit our
Chinese brothers and sisters.
In the light of the present crisis, I appeal to all of you to help call
for
an immediate end to the ongoing brutal crackdown, for the release of all
who have been detained, and to call for providing immediate medical care
to
the injured.
The Dalai Lama
Hamilton, NY
April 24, 20080
Source:
http://www.dalailama.com/news.244.htm
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mailto:peter@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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