Status quo on Tibet will not remain for long: Dalai

The Dalai Lama has expressed hope that status quo on Tibet will not remain for long as Chinese people on the whole back Tibetan demand for greater autonomy within China.

"This kind of situation cannot remain forever. Sooner or later, [we] have to face this reality," said the Dalai Lama, who celebrated his 76th birthday last week, in an interview to Radio Free Asia (RFA) yesterday.

"Year by year, voices about democracy, rule of law, free information, now these things [are] increasing," he said, noting that no one knows how long this is going to continue.

People of China on the whole back Tibetan demand for greater autonomy because the Tibetan struggle is based on non-violence and the principle that Tibet will remain within China, he said.

Asked about rising criticism among younger Tibetans about his "Middle Way" approach to seeking greater autonomy for Tibet, the Dalai Lama told RFA the question should be referred to the newly elected political leadership in the Tibetan government-in-exile for assessment.

"The younger generation criticises our way of approach. That is understandable," he said, but was quick to add that based on his feedback from people of all levels inside Tibet, all of them fully support the approach of not seeking separation.

"Because we strictly follow [the] non-violence principle," he added, "large numbers of Chinese Han brothers and sisters, intellectuals, and some students fully support, fully appreciate, and show solidarity with us." So, the young people should know that, he observed.

The 1.3 billion people in China have every right to know the reality and have the ability to judge what is right and what is wrong, the Tibetan spiritual leader said.

Addressing a conference of Chinese scholars on Tibetan-Chinese Relationship in Washington, the Dalai Lama said in the initial years of the People's Republic of China, the Communist Party did enjoy widespread support among the people, particularly among the working class.

However, he wondered what would be the outcome if there were an independent survey of the views of the people in China on the Communist Party.

Noting that distorted information are being spread by the Chinese government on the issue of Tibet, he said implementing censorship and spreading distorted information were immoral.

He said it important to understand the truth about the Tibetan issue and asked Chinese people to assist in resolving the Tibetan problem.

Observing that China has the potential to contribute to the development of the world and be an important player, the Dalai Lama said what is required was respect and trust by the international community towards the country, which is missing currently.

The Dalai Lama said a more gradual path towards democracy is more appropriate for China as any overnight change could result in chaos.