‘Expect No Miracle, But Strengthen Sino-Tibetan Friendship’His Holiness the Dalai Lama Urges Tibetans and Chinese Scholars to Be Ever Determined in Finding a Just Solution

His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivers his keynote-address to the opening session of the Tibetan-Chinese conference in Geneva, Switzerland, 6 August 2009

Geneva, 6 August –
“The issue of Tibet needs to be solved. How to do it is something we
need to discuss,” His Holiness told a gathering of Chinese and Tibetan
scholars and officials at a conference organized jointly by the
International Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Swiss-Tibetan
Friendship Association. (Click here for full text of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s speech)His
Holiness the Dalai Lama said he wanted to hear new ideas and
suggestions from the Chinese brothers and sisters on how the issue of
Tibet can be resolved based on the Middle-Way Approach. His Holiness
said, “The purpose of our meeting is that obviously there is a problem.
In Tibet, there is a crisis. Huge demonstrations were there all over
Tibet. Severe restrictions were imposed. These demonstrations grew out
of grievances through the generations. Most of the people who
participated in the demonstrations are young.  There is a need for a
realistic response.”On the other hand, His Holiness said, “Our
contacts with the Chinese government is becoming difficult. So we are
reaching out to our Chinese brothers and sisters. There is growing
support.” His Holiness said that to date there were more than 600
articles written in Chinese, all positive, on the issue of Tibet. “So
it is our mutual responsibility to solve this issue without
separation,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Chinese delegates

His
Holiness the Dalai Lama said that it is important for those Chinese
scholars who understand the issue of Tibet to write and make things
clear on the issue of Tibet to the rest. For the Chinese scholars to
understand the issue better His Holiness said he made it a point to
frequently meet as many Chinese as possible. His Holiness said, “This
is an enlarged meeting. I expect no miracle. But this forum is one to
strengthen friendship between Chinese and Tibetans.In the
morning His Holiness held two meetings, one with the Chinese and the
other with the international media. In the after His Holiness
inaugurated conference called Finding Common Ground. This conference
will go on till 8 August. His Holiness the Dalai Lama inaugural address
was followed by an address by Yan Jiaqi, a leading social scientist and
served as a senior adviser to Zhao Ziyang, the ousted prime minister of
China who passed away in 2005.Yan Jiaqi said His Holiness the
Dalai Lama represented not only Tibetans in exile but Tibetans in
Tibet.  Yan Jiaqi listed all the qualities of His Holiness the Dalai
Lama, his selflessness, his sense of compassion and his ability to
promote non-violence. Yan Jiaqi said all these qualities gave great
strength to the Tibet movement. He said, “In China I did not realize
the power of religion. Now I realize the power of religion.” He added
that it is the right of every Tibetan to return to Tibet.

from left to right: Mr. Yan Jia Qi, Jonathan Sisson (IFOR), His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dr. Tashe W. Thaktsang (STFA) and Kalon Tripa Prof Samdhong Rinpoche

Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, Kalon Tripa, also addressed the delegates. (Click here for full text of Kalon Tripa’s speech)After
the inaugural session, Professor Samdhong Rinpoche spent about two
hours fielding questions on a wide-range of issues from the Chinese
audience, which all said was very useful to their understanding of the
nature of the Tibetan struggle and the approaches made by the Central
Tibetan Administration.The next two days the plenary will be
split into smaller groups so that fresh ideas can be discussed to help
resolve the vexed issue of Tibet.There are over 100 Chinese and Tibetan scholars attending this conference from more than 12 countries across the globe.