Dalai Lama Threatens To Quit Over Violence

China Says Dalai Lama Trying To Ruin Beijing Olympics; Tibetan Leader Urges Peace

(AP)  Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao accused supporters of the Dalai Lama on Tuesday of organizing violent clashes in Tibet in hopes of sabotaging the Beijing Olympics and bolstering their campaign for independence in the Himalayan territory.

The Dalai Lama urged his followers to remain peaceful, saying he would resign as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile if violence got out of control. But he also suggested China may have fomented unrest in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and nearby provinces to discredit him.

In striking an uncompromising line, Wen underscored the communist leadership's determination to restore order in Tibet and Tibetan areas of neighboring provinces.

"There is ample fact - and we also have plenty of evidence - proving that this incident was organized, premeditated, masterminded and incited by the Dalai clique," he told reporters at his annual news conference at the end of China's national legislative session.

"By staging that incident, they want to undermine the Beijing Olympic Games, and they also try to serve their hidden agenda by inciting such incidents," said Wen.

He said Lhasa was returning to normal and "will be reopened to the rest of the world," but did not specify when.

The official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday that 105 people had turned themselves into police in Lhasa after the violent anti-government protests there last week. The communist government on Sunday had promised leniency for those who handed themselves in, and harsh punishment for those who did not.

Xinhua quoted a government official as saying the people who gave themselves up had been "directly involved in the beating, smashing, looting and arson last Friday."

"Some have turned in the money they looted," Baema Chilain, vice chairman of the regional government, was quoted as saying.

Independent reporting from the region was impossible because of China's tight control over information and a ban on trips to the area by foreign reporters.

John Kenwood, a 19-year-old Canadian tourist who left Lhasa on Tuesday, said he saw street cleaners wearing orange vests emblazoned with the Beijing Olympics symbol.

"When the fighting began, you saw no Chinese," said Kenwood as he arrived in Nepal. "Now you see no Tibetans on the streets. The young Tibetans are probably hiding."

The Lhasa protests, led by Buddhist monks, began peacefully March 10, the anniversary of a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. Tibet had been effectively independent for decades before Chinese communist troops imposed Beijing's control in 1950.

The demonstrations took a violent turn Friday, leaving 16 people dead and dozens injured, according to the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama's government-in-exile in India contends 80 Tibetans died.

The protests have focused world attention on China's human rights record ahead of the Olympics. The government had hoped the Aug. 8-24 games would burnish its image as a modernizing nation.

The Dalai Lama, speaking in Dharmsala, India, seat of his government-in-exile, urged nonviolence.

"I say to China and the Tibetans: Don't commit violence," he told reporters. He suggested the Chinese themselves may have had a hand in the upheaval to discredit him.

"It's possible some Chinese agents are involved there," he said. "Sometimes totalitarian regimes are very clever, so it is important to investigate."

If violence spirals out of control, he said his "only option is to completely resign" as head of the government-in-exile. A top aide said later the Dalai Lama would not give up his role as spiritual leader for Tibetan Buddhists.

U.S. officials urged China to address Tibetans' grievances and to engage in direct talks with the Dalai Lama.

"I do think that his statements point out the fact that he is not arguing for independence or separation from China. Quite the opposite, he is arguing for dialogue with the Chinese," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey.

Chinese authorities pressed ahead with efforts to round up protesters in Lhasa. Witnesses said officials had been detaining people since the weekend.

Duoji Zeren, vice governor of Tibet, was quoted on state television as saying authorities "would take determined methods to capture the primary suspects," but no details were given.

Protests spilled over from Tibet into surrounding provinces in recent days, as police and soldiers set up checkpoints across a wide swath of western China. On Tuesday, thousands of Tibetans flooded the streets in Seda, in the southern Chinese province of Sichuan, according to the Tibet Center for Human Rights and Democracy.

Activist groups also circulated graphic photographs of protesters who they said were massacred Sunday by Chinese police at Kirti monastery in Sichuan province. The images showed several men who were apparently shot and bodies covered in blood. There was no way to verify the authenticity of the photographs.

[tucano2]

Prez Bush and Secy Rice "suggest China have direct talks with the Tibetans". What two-faced idiots these two are. Isn''t that exactly what these two said they''d never do with, say, Iran, and many others with whom they disagree? The real answer of course is to ignore the "suits" abd simply reduce or eliminate purchases of "Made in China" to the point the Chinese economy collapses and its stranglehold on Tibet weakens.

[incog-nito]

Absent from this story, is any mention of protest or at least concern from the Bush administration. I guess Chinese cheap slave labor is too good to pass for Corporate America.

[smilingez50]

And to think we all buy from Wal-Mart. Sam is turning over in his grave.

[incog-nito]

SharnCedar: If you like his philosophy, why then do you think he''s a fraud? Just because he LOOKS like a fraud? I mean, he didn''t CHOOSE to be Dalai Lama.

[incog-nito]

SharnCedar: For whatever reason, China''s ambition has always been TERRITORY. Nothing else matters, not even the lives of their own people. China has either been at war with its neighbors or colonized them, for thousands of years. Tourism? They don''t give a hoot about tourism dollars, or whether millions of them starve in a famine or drought. Too many anyway. It''s too bad the West has empowered China to restart its ambition, all because of cheap labor.

[sharncedar]

He looks like a big phony but I read his book, his philosophy is sound.

Realize the Chinese are missing a big opportunity - Tibet is worth the most to them as a fancy, high-end tourist trap for Westerners, with all the palaces and locals intact. It''s worth much more that way than as a poor province inhabited by forcefully resettled Han people barely scraping by. There are huge temples, lots of monks, and lots of rich Westerners would love to hang out there and visit and spend money.

The Chinese should cut a deal with the Dalai Lama, let him go back and preside over his spiritual fraud (if you think its fraud) in Tibet.

The fact the Chinese don''t see the value in this kind of tourism, which is a huge industry, shows how ignorant they still are. Suppressing Tibet is not good economic policy.

[newsterl]

The Dalai Lama threatened Tuesday to step down as leader"

LOL, wow what a ''treat'' goodbye then, dont let the door hit you in the azz on your way out.

[davidy007]

BTW, is the U.S. planning to bring freedom and democracy to Tibet anytime soon?


Nope, no oil...

[incog-nito]

Read the article people. He is not threatening to quit as Dalai Lama, only as head of state of the government in exile. BTW, is the U.S. planning to bring freedom and democracy to Tibet anytime soon?

[peacedreamer-2009]

How does one resign from being an incarnation of Buddha?

[rushlimpdrug]

"didn''''t the Muslims invent peace on earth?"
Posted by yongamerica at 04:38 PM

The muslims inverted peace on earth.
Big difference.

[yongamerica]

"He could do MUCH more than just go around like he inveted peace on earth." - rushlimpdrug

didn''t the Muslims invent peace on earth?

[yongamerica]

I wish George and *** would threaten to quit.

[rushlimpdrug]

The man keeps his country''''s ethnic identitiy alive. . . You should temper your cynicism because it''''s put blinders on you.
Posted by ThinkHarder- at 03:20 PM


Whatever.
He could do MUCH more than just go around like he inveted peace on earth.
I''m not sure that he didn''t invent Tibet.

[thinkharder-]

Dalai Lama''''s policy:
1. "Run and Hide"
2. "Speak of Peace and Brotherhood"
3. "Wear a Clean Dress Everyday"

The man is a hypocrite.
He goes around kissing a$$ from people of power around the world.
Dalai Fake.
Posted by rushlimpdrug

The man keeps his country''s ethnic identitiy alive. Do you propose he heads back to Tibet to ascend his throne? What good would taht do? He''d find a cozy spot in a Chinese jail right next to the Padesh Lama. As an exiled leader he keeps hiscountry fresh in the minds of the world. His grace and good will earns the sympathy of every world leader he visits, except the Chinese of course. The man did the best possible thing he could given the climate in ''59. You should temper your cynicism because it''s put blinders on you.

No one wants to take on China. Take the keys from grandpa and let him live his days out in India.

[extremophil]

As far as I''m concerned the Dalai can hop on his Lama and ride outta Dodge for good.

[rushlimpdrug]

There are 5 Billion of us (including you) non-Chinese (PRC)on the planet. If each of us spends $10/month LESS on "Made in China" stuff the economic impact on China will be tremendous, and sudden. Economic Power = Military Power. Cripple the one and the other has no punch or staying ability. Don''''t count on any "government" to do much at all. It''''s up to each and every one of us, you and me included, to weaken China''''s strangle-hold on Tibet.
Posted by tucanofulano at 01:13 PM


Great post!
Now this is what I would expect the Lama to say!
The Lama can quit being leader of his country, but his is still the "spiritual" leader of these folks.
Too bad for them.

[tucano2]

Sounds like dis-information to me. His Holiness was chosen; He did not "run for office". It is impossible for him to be a quitter.No "government" is about to get involved, as there is no nation, particularly the USA, strong enough morally, spiritually, militarily, politically, or most critically economically to resist China.
But us "common" folks do have those powers. There are 5 Billion of us (including you) non-Chinese (PRC)on the planet. If each of us spends $10/month LESS on "Made in China" stuff the economic impact on China will be tremendous, and sudden. Economic Power = Military Power. Cripple the one and the other has no punch or staying ability. Don''t count on any "government" to do much at all. It''s up to each and every one of us, you and me included, to weaken China''s strangle-hold on Tibet.

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by SharnCedar at 12:47 PM

What?!

The people IN TIBET are bringing attention to their situation.
Meanwhile, Lama boy tells them to sit down and shut up.
He could not hold his country and he did the one thing he could, RUN LAMA! RUN!
This would be a great opportunity to shine light on what "his" people are going through and he blows it.
Nice.
He''s a reetard.