Although international support for the Tibetan cause might be welcome, the Dalai Lama knows he cannot win autonomy from Beijing without significant political support inside China. The Dalai Lama is not merely the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He has considerable following among the many Chinese practitioners of Buddhism.

Reaching out to the Chinese citizens in an open letter last week, the Dalai Lama said, “As a simple monk who strives to live his daily life according to Buddhist precepts, I assure you of the sincerity of my motivation.” Recalling that Buddhism flourished in China before it came to Tibet, the Dalai Lama said, “We Tibetans have historically accorded the Chinese people the respect and affection due to elder Dharma brothers and sisters”.

The Dalai Lama also talked of his continuous interaction with the Han Buddhists living outside China and sought their good offices for a genuine reconciliation with Beijing. Warning Beijing against promoting hatred between the Tibetan and the Han nationalities, the Dalai Lama said, “Despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating rift between the Chinese people and myself, assert that I am trying to sabotage the games.” The Dalai Lama also welcomed the group of Chinese intellectuals who criticised Beijing’s crackdown in Tibet and called for a genuine dialogue between the two.

Reminding the Chinese that his fight was not an isolated one, the Dalai Lama pointed to the Chinese victims of the Tiananmen crackdown in Beijing during June 1989 who are yet to receive justice and the thousands of Chinese peasants who are protesting for their rights today. “I express these concerns both as a fellow human being and as someone who is prepared to consider himself a member of the large family that is the People’s Republic of China.”

... contd.