China tells its overseas organizations to oppose Tibet separatism
Phayul[Tuesday, April 28, 2009 13:46]
By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, April 28: Overseas Chinese anti-secession organizations have been told by China to beef up efforts in promoting peaceful mainland-Taiwan relations and opposing Tibet separation attempts, state-run news agency Xinhua reported Saturday.
The report said that the overseas organizations were “told to strive to create a more favorable environment for the promotion of the peaceful development of mainland-Taiwan relations, and stand alert and oppose the ‘Tibet independence’ forces and their divisive activities.”
The report said the call was issued at the end of a three-day conference of China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification that concluded in Beijing on April 25. It said 122 overseas Chinese representatives from 68 countries and regions took part in the meeting.
On April 24, the report said, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and head of the council, met with the representatives.
The call was made at a time when the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama began his ongoing tour of US, during which he is scheduled to give a series of public talks and, hold meetings with Chinese democratic activists and China experts.
The Dalai Lama is, however, not scheduled to visit Washington or meet with US officials during his two-week US tour. But ahead of the visit, China demanded that the United States cancel the visit by the Dalai Lama and warned President Barack Obama against any plan to meet with the Tibetan leader.
“We oppose the Dalai Lama going to any country to engage in splittist activities under any pretext,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular news conference in Beijing last week. Jiang further said her government had urged the US to “honor its commitments and not allow the Dalai to engage in separatist activities in the United States.”
The Buddhist religious leader, a recipient of the Nobel peace prize, who is respected around the world, says he is seeking only meaningful autonomy for his homeland, Tibet, and not independence as accused by China. China routinely vilifies him as a separatist and regularly warns countries and leaders who receive him.
Addressing a Tokyo news conference on a stopover before the speaking tour of the United States, Dalai Lama reportedly accused China of “acting like a child” in cracking down on Tibetans and other minorities, saying it lacked the moral authority of a genuine superpower.
The Dalai Lama said he saw China, “such a big nation, acting like a child”.
“We have sincerely committed to remain part of the PRC for our own interest, for our economic development, provided [we have] minimal autonomy to safeguard our culture, our spirituality and the environment,” AFP quoted Dalai Lama as saying during the conference.
Tags: Free Tibet, Namgyal Rapper, Tibet, Tibetan