TOKYO, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, claims that China’s leaders don’t “understand the diversity of cultures” and that the Communist Party’s obsession with tight social control can prove to be dangerous.
On Wednesday, the 86-year old Buddhist monk said that he preferred to stay home in India (where he had lived since 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese control in Tibet) than to get involved in “complicated politics” between China and Taiwan, which is run by the officially atheist Communist Party and strongly Buddhist Taiwan.
The Dalai Lama spoke at an online conference hosted by Tokyo Foreign Correspondents Club. He stated that there were no plans to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but declined to comment on Xi’s intentions to stay in office for a third term of five years.
He said that Chinese communist leaders do not know the diversity of cultures. “In reality, too much control can cause harm to people.”
China has strict control over all religions. In recent years, it has intensified its cultural assimilation campaign targeting Tibetans, Turkic Muslim Uyghurs, and other minorities.
According to the Dalai Lama, he didn’t want to get involved in “local political problems” but wanted to make contributions to his “brothers & sisters” in Taiwan and mainland China. He said, “This situation can be quite complex.”
He said, chuckling, “Sometimes it feels like this simple Buddhist monk (does not) want to (be involved) in complicated politics.”
Although the Dalai Lama has retired from politics in 2011, he remains an important force for Tibetan tradition preservation.
China has criticized him for being an advocate of Tibetan independence. He has not been in direct contact with his representatives in over a decade.
According to the Dalai Lama, he is only advocating for Tibet’s autonomy and protection of its Buddhist culture.
Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that the door is open to dialogue with the Dalai Lama but that Beijing will not discuss Tibet’s status.
Wang stated Wednesday at the daily briefing that the Dalai Lama should give up its position of splitting China, end its secessionist activities, and take concrete steps to win the trust and support of the central government.
