HHDL an "Extraordinary Figure of the 21st Century"

A Dharamsala-based effort to trace and publicly address the recent increase in Chinese propaganda.

As reported at Phayul.com; Sept. 16, 2006

By Phurbu Thinley

Dharamsala -- Strongly reacting to the vehemence with which China continues to condemn and denigrate the Dalai Lama, accompanied with increasing oppression in Tibet in recent months not seen since the repression of the late 1980s, the Dharamsala-based Gu Chu Sum Movement of Tibet today released a 12-page report criticising China of its practice of making baseless and absurd accusations against the Tibetan leader.

Sensing China’s increasing hostility of attitude towards the Dalai Lama, Mr. Ngawang Woeba, President of the Gu Chu Sum Movement, said that a Monitoring Committee has been formed at the centre to strictly note Chinese leaders’ blatant and fictitious accusations against the Tibetan leader in order to respond timely and give factual reply based on truth to the Chinese counterparts.

According to Chinese State media reports, Mr. Zhang Qingli, the newly appointed Secretary of Tibet's Communist Party, was reported to have pledged a "fight-to- the-death struggle" with the Dalai Lama, by blaming the Tibetan leader as “the biggest obstacle hindering Tibetan Buddhism from establishing normal order."

Since then, Mr. Zhang has a strong record of making harsh personal criticism against the Dalai Lama and ideological statements against separatism.

The 12-page report, titled “An Extraordinary Figure of the 21st Century: His Holiness the Dalai Lama”, notes in detail the various criticisms made against the Dalai Lama by the current Communist Chinese leaders and calls them as simply baseless accusations filled with misinformation and completely lacking truth.

The report further says that the type of hollow condemnations being made by the Chinese leaders is completely inconsistent with the overwhelming acknowledgement the Dalai Lama receives around the world in recognition of the his advocacy of religious harmony, non-violence, and human rights throughout the world and for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Tibet issue through a process of dialogue with the Chinese leadership.

At a time when Tibetan Government in Exile (TGIE) is making sincere effort to keep the direct talk process going with Beijing, such a hostile stance from the senior Chinese leadership makes Tibetans even more suspicious knowing the fact over the years of what Communist Chinese Government promises on one hand and does something else on the other when dealing with Tibetan issue said Mr. Woeba.

Although five round of talks has been held between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and Beijing since the dialogue process was renewed in 2002, which was abruptly cut off way back in 1993; Mr. Woeba said that the time consuming process in which China resumes direct talks with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile with no visible progress so far needs to be tackled in a more radical, determined and staunch approach while limiting ourselves (Tibetans) within the framework of truth and non-violence.

Former Kalon Tripa (Executive Chief of the Exile Tibetan Government, i.e., the elected legislative "head" of the Tibetan exile government), Mr. Sonam Topgyal, who was also present during the press conference, stated with conviction that there can be no harmonious bond between Tibetans and Chinese people without a sincere motivation from the Chinese leadership.

“How can the goal of a harmonious society be achieved when the Communist leaders themselves are engaged in implementing harsh policies aimed at destroying the identity of Tibetan people thereby disturbing the very stability in the Tibetan region?” added the former Kalon Tripa.

To the Tibetan and Tibet support group organisations seeking “Complete Independence” for Tibet, the lack of sincerity consistently displayed from the Chinese side provokes and calls for a more determined approach of further strengthening the complete independence movement for Tibet said Mr. Woeba at the press conference here today.

The Gu-Chu-Sum (which means 9-10-3) Movement of Tibet is an organization, set up on 27 September 1991 in Dharamsala, India, made up entirely of ex-political prisoners of the Tibetan freedom movement and seeks complete independence for Tibet.

The organisation was named according to the months in which major demonstrations occurred in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital city. "Gu" is for September 27, 1987, "Chu" is for October 1, 1987 and "Sum" is for March 5, 1988.

On these dates, major demonstrations were carried out in Lhasa in an effort to regain Tibetan freedom. The participants were later brutally suppressed by the Chinese Army.