Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, in an open appeal to world leaders, Parliamentarians, non-governmental organisations and the public, has expressed his concern over the Chinese crackdown on the pro-independence protests in Tibet.
He also thanked the international community for its efforts in persuading the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the peaceful protesters and calling for meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue.
The Tibetan spiritual leader stressed that the recent demonstrations and protests in Tibet were 'a manifestation of deep-rooted resentment'. This resentment, he said, was not confined to only the Tibetan people in the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, but also in the outlying traditional Tibetan areas now incorporated into Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces which have a substantial ethnic Tibetan community.
Quoting reliable sources, the Dalai Lama alleged that the Chinese authorities have deployed large contingents of troops in these traditional Tibetan regions. Not only had the Red Army initiated a heavy crackdown on the Tibetans allegedly involved in the unrest, it has also sealed off the areas where protests have taken place, he said.
The Dalai Lama, who has been repeatedly blamed for masterminding the Tibet unrest, urged the international community to call for an immediate end to the current crackdown and for the release of all those protestors who have been arrested and detained. He also expressed particular concern about the provision of adequate medical facilities in the conflict-torn region, as there were reports of many injured Tibetans being afraid to go to Chinese-run hospitals and clinics.
The Dalai Lama also requested the international community to send an independent international body to Tibet to investigate the unrest and its underlying causes. He also called on the media and international medical teams to visit the affected areas. The Tibetan leader, who has been living in exile in Dharamshala since fleeing China in 1959, expressed hope that the presence of these teams will instill a sense of reassurance in the Tibetan people and also exercise a restraining influence on the Chinese authorities.