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Dalai Lama thanks DPP
for support of democratic reforms
BEST WISHES: Tibet¡¦s spiritual leader wished
Tsai continued success, while the DPP called for China to respect human rights
and basic freedoms
By Chris Wang / STAFF REPORTER, IN GREATER KAOHSIUNG
The Dalai Lama has expressed his gratitude to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)
and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (½²^¤å) for supporting the recent changes to the
Tibetan political system, the DPP said yesterday.
¡§Thank you for your recent letter of August 2011 highlighting my recent decision
to strengthen the democratic system of the Tibetan community by transferring
power to a democratically elected leader,¡¨ Dalai Lama wrote in a letter to Tsai.
The Tibetan leader offered his best wishes to Tsai for ¡§continued success¡¨ in
her work for the Taiwanese.
The Dalai Lama said he ¡§voluntarily, proudly and happily took the decision of
ending the 369-year-old tradition of the Dalai Lamas holding the dual
responsibility of temporal and spiritual affairs.¡¨
The DPP also took the opportunity to again call for China to respect human
rights and freedom of speech and religion, saying that its hard-line position
toward the incarnation of the Dalai Lama and its continued suppression of the
Tibetans undermines the international image China has been trying to build.
The party expressed its disappointment over South Africa¡¦s failure to grant the
Dalai Lama a visa, which forced the cancelation of his meeting with fellow Nobel
Peace laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, under Chinese pressure.
China¡¦s interference is a violation of human rights, the DPP said, and the civil
rights and democratic development of every country should be protected by the
international community.
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