Exile Tibetan and Uyghur groups on Wednesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Chinese government’s massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square by pointing to what they described as Beijing’s use of deadly force to suppress their own struggles for greater freedom and rights.
Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama offered prayers Wednesday for those killed in the June 1989 assault, saying they died for freedom, democracy, and human rights—values he called the foundation of a “free and dynamic society.”
“They are also the source of true peace and stability,” said the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive national uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule.
“While great progress has been made to integrate China into the world economy, I believe it is equally important to encourage China to enter the mainstream of global democracy,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement.
“This will help China to gain the trust and respect of the rest of the world, enabling China to fulfill its potential in playing a leading role in global affairs.”
The Dalai Lama's statement came ahead of a campaign to be launched on Thursday by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Tibet’s Dharamsala, India-based government in exile, in a new push for its "Middle Way" approach for greater autonomy for Tibetans within China.
Beijing has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since 1951, a year after invading the Himalayan region. It further tightened controls since unrest spread across Tibetan regions from Lhasa in March 2008.
The CTA says about 220 Tibetans died and nearly 7,000 were detained in the subsequent region-wide crackdown. The Chinese government says rioting killed 22 people.
A total of 131 Tibetans have also set themselves ablaze to date in self-immolation protests calling for Tibetan freedom, with another six setting fire to themselves in India and Nepal...
Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama offered prayers Wednesday for those killed in the June 1989 assault, saying they died for freedom, democracy, and human rights—values he called the foundation of a “free and dynamic society.”
“They are also the source of true peace and stability,” said the Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive national uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule.
“While great progress has been made to integrate China into the world economy, I believe it is equally important to encourage China to enter the mainstream of global democracy,” the Dalai Lama said in a statement.
“This will help China to gain the trust and respect of the rest of the world, enabling China to fulfill its potential in playing a leading role in global affairs.”
The Dalai Lama's statement came ahead of a campaign to be launched on Thursday by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Tibet’s Dharamsala, India-based government in exile, in a new push for its "Middle Way" approach for greater autonomy for Tibetans within China.
Beijing has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since 1951, a year after invading the Himalayan region. It further tightened controls since unrest spread across Tibetan regions from Lhasa in March 2008.
The CTA says about 220 Tibetans died and nearly 7,000 were detained in the subsequent region-wide crackdown. The Chinese government says rioting killed 22 people.
A total of 131 Tibetans have also set themselves ablaze to date in self-immolation protests calling for Tibetan freedom, with another six setting fire to themselves in India and Nepal...
Source: Latest News in Hindi
Watch Online News Videos on Videos.jagran.com
