His Holiness the Dalai Lama reaffirms his support for Beijing Olympics
For immediate release March 8, 2008
Sonam N Dagpo
Department of Information and International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration
Tel: +91 1892 222510
+91 1892 222457
+91 1892 224662
Yesterday, according to media reports, China’s top official in Tibet,
Zhang Qingli quoted a distorted interview by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama accusing him of trying to sabotage the forthcoming Beijing
Olympics.
In making this highly inflammatory accusation, the party
secretary of Tibet based his information on an interview of His
Holiness the Dalai Lama carried on Britain’s ITV network in the third
week of January, which misleadingly attributed the Tibetan leader of
supporting peaceful protests in the run-up to the Olympics.
When the international media picked up the excerpts of the
interview, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama through its London
office issued a clarification on 23 January, which was covered by the
media.
In response to the reporters’ question whether His Holiness
supported the calls by some NGOs, including Tibet support groups, for a
boycott of the Beijing Olympics, His Holiness answered by stating
categorically that it was too radical.
When the interviewer subsequently asked if the NGOs should
continue with their protests, His Holiness had said that they could
remind the international community, including the Chinese people about
the repression and urgency of the situation in Tibet.
On the issue of the Beijing Olympics, it is common knowledge
that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has consistently supported the right
of China to host the 2008 Olympic Games.