20030912

Dialogue brings peace: Dalai Lama

ONE COUNTRY?: The Dalai Lama supported the one-country, two-systems formula for Hong Kong and Tibet, but wouldn't say if he thought it was good for Taiwan

By Charles Snyder

STAFF WRITER IN WASHINGTON

"But so far, our main effort is to build confidence, because there is so much sort of suspicion."－The Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama indicated in Washington Wednesday that he felt that Beijing's recent willingness to open dialogue with his envoys might indirectly result in greater peace and stability for the situation across the Taiwan Strait.

The Tibetan leader made his remarks at the White House in answer to a question from a reporter after meeting with President George W. Bush during a three-day visit to the American capital.

"If the Chinese government addresses the Tibetan issue more realistically," the implication would "matter a lot to the Hong Kong People ... and then to Taiwan also," he said.

"If you get more sort of peace, more satisfaction, then you are more safe," he said.

"And I think the image of the People's Republic of China also is improved. So, actually, the stability and unity of the people from China really improves," as a result of a thaw in the China-Tibet standoff, he said.

The Dalai Lama supported the one-country, two-systems formula for Hong Kong, noting that he endorsed a similar formula for Tibet as early as 1951. But when asked if the same solution could be applied to Taiwan, he waved off the question: "This is not my responsibility," he said.

The Dalai Lama spent some 45 minutes with Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and other Washington officials, running over the scheduled 25-minute timetable.

This kept Bush's next guest, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheik Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, cooling his heels outside for more than 10 minutes.

The Dalai Lama called the session "very useful" and "very serious." He said it was "almost like a reunion with some old friends. I am really satisfied," he said.

He said that the US officials showed "their genuine interest and sympathy regarding our problem" and wanted to "make an effort to materialize meaningful dialogue with China's government."

The Tibetan leader called the direct contacts between his envoys and Chinese leaders that began last September "a good start."

"But so far, our main effort is to build confidence, because there is so much sort of suspicion. And serious sorts of discussions have not yet started. It takes, I think, a longer time," he said.

He reiterated that he is not seeking independence for his homeland but is mainly concerned with preserving Tibetan culture and Tibetan spirituality.

He also complained about Beijing's moves to transplant ethnic Han Chinese to traditional Tibetan areas and to concentrate the benefits of economic development mainly in Chinese hands. He said he conveyed these concerns to Bush and his aides.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said after the meeting that Bush pledged himself to "seek ways to encourage China to continue to dialogue on a substantive basis, and expressed his hope that the Chinese government would respond favorably."

Within hours of his White House meeting, the House of Representatives passed a resolution welcoming the Dalai Lama to Washington, praising his commitments to non-violence, human rights, freedom and democracy.

The House resolution also urged the Bush administration to encourage all parties involved in the Beijing-Tibet dialogue "to deepen these contacts in order to achieve the aspirations of the people of Tibet for genuine autonomy and basic human rights."

During his Washington visit, the Dalai Lama is also meeting with other administration officials and with large numbers of members of Congress.

These meetings include closed sessions with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the House International Relations Committee and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus.

The Washington visit is part of a five-city tour during which the Dalai Lama joined in commemorations marking the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.