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March 25, 2008
I will Quit if Violence Goes Out of Control: Dalai Lama

New Delhi
The Dalai Lama Tuesday reiterated that if the violent uprising in his homeland Tibet goes out of control, he will resign as the spokesperson of the Tibetan struggle.

"If the violent demonstration goes out of control, I would resign," the Dalai Lama told reporters here on the sidelines of a meditation workshop.

His secretary Chhime R. Chhoekyappa clarified that the Tibetan struggle had still not taken a violent hue, so the situation envisaged by the Dalai Lama was only a hypothesis.

"This (resignation) is not an immediate action, but only a possible scenario in the future," Chhoekyappa told IANS.

The Tibetan spiritual leader had made a similar statement March 18 in the north Indian town of Dharamsala, asserting that if the "majority of the Tibetans in Tibet resorted to violence in their freedom struggle, he would have no option but to resign as spokesperson of the Tibetan people".

The Dalai Lama has been in the capital since Friday to give discourses on Buddhist philosophy and for a meditation course under a programme finalised a year ago. Next month, he is scheduled to go to the US on a lecture tour.

"But he will not be going to the cities of Washington or New York, so he may not get a chance to meet the top political leaders," said Choekyappa.

There are around 100,000 Tibetans in exile in India, who fled their homeland around 50 years ago to escape from the Chinese government's policies.

While China says around 22 people died in the recent disturbances in Lhasa, the Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala claims that over 140 Tibetans were killed.   

March 25, 2008

IANS | Top