'Don't disrupt torch in Tibet'
2008-06-12 12:39
Sydney - The Dalai Lama on Thursday appealed for Tibetans not to interfere with the Olympic torch relay as it passes through the capital Lhasa, saying he fully supports the Beijing Olympics.
The torch is expected to pass through Tibet the next week, although exact details of its schedule are being kept secret following unrest in March against Chinese rule in the region.
Tibet's exiled spiritual leader repeated calls for greater political autonomy but said he did not want the torch to spark protests in Lhasa similar to those seen in London and Paris on its round-the-world journey.
"The Olympic Games we fully support, the Olympic torch is part of that," he told reporters in Sydney, where he is conducting a series of meditation seminars.
"Over a billion Chinese brothers and sisters feel very proud of it, we must respect this, therefore we should not disturb it."
Some groups critical of China's rule in Tibet have said taking the torch to the Himalayan region is an insult considering the massive Chinese security clampdown after the unrest there.
Exiled Tibetan leaders say 203 people died in the crackdown, while China says it killed no one and that "rioters" were responsible for 21 deaths.
Talks with Chinese government
China has largely blamed the Dalai Lama for fomenting the unrest and accused him of seeking to sabotage the Olympic Games.
Despite such accusations, Beijing in early May restarted a dialogue with representatives of the Dalai Lama over the remote region, although they have been suspended in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake.
The Dalai Lama said he was optimistic the talks would yield progress.
He said China's leadership had "accepted reality" with the economic liberalisation that had delivered the country's current growth and he was hopeful it would take a similar pragmatic stance on Tibet.
- AFP