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Dalai Lama demands Tibet autonomy, mourns past
Tue Mar 10, 2009 2:06am EDT
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By Matthias Williams
DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama marked his 50 years in exile on Tuesday by demanding "meaningful autonomy" for his Tibetan homeland, where Chinese authorities tightened security to stifle protests against their rule.
Speaking before some 10,000 Tibetans from around the world, the 73-year-old leader slammed China for bringing "untold suffering and destruction" to Tibet and turning the region at times into "hell on earth."
"From time immemorial, the Tibetan and Chinese peoples have been neighbors," the Dalai Lama said from the courtyard of the main Buddhist temple in Dharamsala, the north Indian hill town where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based.
"We Tibetans are looking for a legitimate and meaningful autonomy."
Tibet, and ethnic Tibetan areas in neighboring provinces of China, are under a security clampdown aimed at stifling protest against Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama mourned what he called the suffering and destruction wrought by Chinese Communist policies and campaigns. "These thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth," he said, as the crowd listened with rapt attention.
Many were seen crying with folded hands as he said: "Even today, Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear."
The Tibetan anthem was played and a minute's silence was observed in the memory of victims of last year's Chinese crackdown in Tibet.
About 20 young men and women, dressed mostly in black Tibetan dress to mourn victims of the crackdown, came in before the speech playing drums and bagpipes and singing "Rise up, rise up."
Shortly after the speech, thousands of Tibetans, many among them children, marched through the narrow streets of Dharamsala carrying "Free Tibet" posters and protesting against a Chinese security clampdown in Tibet.
"Whatever the Dalai Lama said is right, we totally believe in him and will follow him," Rinzin Choedon, a 12-year-old school student, said.
"Today it is not an ordinary day for us, today we can make a remark to the whole world as Tibet is an international issue and China has to agree that Tibet is a free nation."
Yet while decrying China's crackdown on unrest 12 months ago and a lack of progress in talks between his envoys and Beijing, the Dalai Lama said the two sides must find a way forward together.
SECURITY CLAMPDOWN IN TIBET
In the high plateau of Qinghai province which borders Tibet, meanwhile, riot police with signs banning firearms blocked roads and turned back reporters trying to enter the monastery town of Tongren, known as Rebkong in Tibetan. Continued...
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