His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concludes Successful Taiwan Visit[Friday, 4 September 2009, 9:37 a.m.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks to the media as he walks to board his plane at the Taoyuan International Airport, 4 September 2009 for a flight to Delhi, India/Photo:Reuters

Dharamshala: His
Holiness the Dalai Lama left Taiwan this morning after concluding his
five-day visit to bless typhoon victims, emphasising that he achieved
the primary goal of his mission by bringing comfort to Morakot’s
survivors.Hundreds of Tibetans and Taiwan disciples saw off His
Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Howard Plaza Hotel in Taipei, and
hundreds more waited for him at the Taoyuan International Airport
outside Taipei, DPA news agency reported.As His Holiness was
escorted into the airport terminal by a horde of body guards and
police, a reporter shouted: “Do you think you can return to Tibet?” “We
are always ready to return to Tibet. We are Tibetan, so of course we
are. I am a Tibetan,” His Holiness responded to the reporter.Earlier on Wednesday, His Holiness said his mission to Taiwan to comfort the victims of Typhoon Morakot was a success.

Tibetans greet His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his arrival at a train station in Taiwan

In
an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, His Holiness said he
was moved to meet survivors of the typhoon when he visited Shiao Lin,
the village where hundreds died in catastrophic mudslides spawned by
the typhoon’s torrential rains early last month.”It’s a very
sad sort of scenery,” His Holiness said. “And I met, besides some
officials, some real victims, crying. It’s very sad.” “But fact is
fact,” His Holiness added, acknowledging Morakot’s devastation. “It’s
already happened.”His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke during a
90-minute train trip from the southern city of Kaohsiung to Taipei on
the third-day of his five-day visit.His Holiness said despite
“the very sad sort of scenery” he had seen at Shaio Lin, he felt he
achieved the primary goal of his mission by bringing comfort to
Morakot’s survivors.”I’m very much satisfied,” His Holiness said. “I feel the main purpose of this visit fulfilled.”