His Holiness the Dalai Lama backs non-violent struggle of Uighur leaderFriday, 10 September 2009, 11:16 a.m.

Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Prague

Dharamshala: His Holiness the Dalai Lama voiced support for Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer in Prague on Thursday ahead of joining her at an Asian human rights conference whose line-up has drawn loud protests from China, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported Thursday.His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kadeer were to be guests at the conference in Prague later Thursday organised by the Forum 2000 foundation co-established by former Czech dissident-turned-president, Vaclav Havel.”I’m very much impressed. Unlike some other local people… she (acted) totally, strictly non-violently,” AFP quoted His Holiness the Dalai Lama as saying.”And second, unlike some other local people who want independence, she fully agreed with my stand – she also prefers a meaningful autonomy, not separation,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama added.In response to angry reaction from the Chinese embassy, the Czech Foreign Ministry said in a statement Kadeer’s visit was “of a private nature and could not be interpreted as a change in our traditional One-China policy.”His Holiness the Dalai Lama also stressed his visit to Prague was strictly non-political, saying he had come to promote “human value and religious harmony.”But His Holiness called on the Chinese government to “implement fully all the rights mentioned in the Constitution… in our land… (which) would be helpful for stability, unity and harmony.””The present Chinese policy relies on using force. Force brings fear. Fear destroys trust. And if we don’t trust, we can’t develop harmony,” His Holiness added.Uighur or East Turkestan, a nation of indigenous Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighurs, has had an intermittent history of autonomy and independence, but was finally brought under Chinese control in the 18th century.Economic development of the region under Communist rule has been accompanied by large-scale immigration of Han Chinese, and Uighur allegations of discrimination and marginalisation have been behind simmering tensions between the two groups.In July this year, Uighurs in the East Turkestan (Ch: Xinjiang) clashed with China’s dominant Han ethnic group, leaving more than 156 dead – most of them thought to be Han – and more than 1,000 wounded. The Chinese government accuses Rebiya Kadeer for fomenting the protest, the charge she denies. Kadeer says Chinese authorities “did not keep their promise of autonomy” for Uighur people. She says Uighurs have a right to self-determination and says around 10,000 of her fellow citizens have disappeared after the protests.