/ 4 November 2004

Dalai Lama: ‘I’m not seeking independence’

Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said on Thursday he is eager to go to China — where he last visited 50 years ago — and stressed that Beijing has failed to understand that he has dropped demands for independence.

”Now still I have a keen desire to visit my own place and China, especially now — 2004 means exactly 50 years past since my first visit to China that was 1954/55,” the Dalai Lama told a news conference in Johannesburg.

”The People’s Republic of China is much, much changed … much development,” he said, adding that he also wants to undertake a ”pilgrimage to see some of the holy places” in China, which he was never allowed to visit.

The Dalai Lama, who arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday for this third visit to South Africa, said he welcomed peace talks between a Tibetan delegation and Chinese officials held in September.

”I consider the direct contact, face to face, is very essential,” he said.

”Now, I think, one other important thing is I’m not seeking independence,” he said, adding that he has made ”this statement thousand times … and the world knows that Dalai Lama is not a separatist, but the Chinese government and Chinese media still call me as a separatist”.

The Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 amid a failed uprising against Chinese rule, told Time magazine in a recent interview that ”if we remain within China, we might get a greater benefit, provided it respects our culture and beautiful environment and gives us some kind of guarantee”.

”For us [it would mean] more modernisation,” he had said.

The leader sidestepped questions on the United States elections, saying both President George Bush and John Kerry are good friends of his.

When asked what Bush’s re-election means, he replied: ”That’s American business,” adding there is ”not much difference between both candidates”, as both are ”very sympathetic”.

The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile are headquartered in the northern hill station of Dharamsala in India.

Direct contact between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government broke down in 1993 and were renewed only in September 2002.

Two envoys of the Dalai Lama visited China last month. They returned to say that though major differences exist between the exiled Tibetan leader and Beijing, both sides are ready to continue the contact. — Sapa-AFP