DALAI LAMA: SRILANKA/ CHINA SHD NOT USE FORCE!!! SHD ACCEPT REALITY!!! STABILITY NEEDS MUTUAL TRUST!!!

DON’T USE FORCE: DALAI LAMA TO SRI LANKA

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said the Sri Lankan government should accept reality with regard to the conflict with the LTTE and that he would hope and pray for a peaceful resolution in the country, the Times of India newspaper reported yesterday.
The spiritual leader who was on a visit to India told reporters he hoped to meet Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon yesterday when he would discuss the situation in Sri Lanka.

Aasked whether he would appeal to the Buddhist rulers in Sri Lanka in calling for a ceasefire, the Dalai Lama told a news conference at the University of Madras: "The government of India's foreign secretary has just returned from a visit to Sri Lanka. I will consult him when I reach Delhi." "My first foreign visit to Sri Lanka was proposed in 1960 and the Sri Lankan External Affairs Ministry had given its clearance. But at the last minute there was indefinite postponement," he said making it clear he would not be going to Sri Lanka and added that the then Sri Lankan Prime Minister Srimavo Bandaranaike was very close to the Chinese.

"I pray and hope some peaceful resolution is arrived at in Sri Lanka. I think the Lankan government should accept reality. I don't want to interfere in these things," he said in reply to a question whether he approved the military action by the Buddhist rulers of Sri Lanka and reiterating his opposition to the use of force.

The Dalai Lama said he did not see any major change in American policy under Barack Obama's leadership.

"I know the new president is very sympathetic and so is the new US Secretary of State. But officials of the US state department have their policies and these will continue," he said.

The Tibetan leader was confident that it was only a matter of time before Tibet gets autonomy and hit out at the Communist Party of China for alienating itself from the working class.

"Using force in Tibet for stability can happen only for the short term. In the long term, stability must come out of mutual trust. Sooner or later in the interest of China as a whole, the government has to deal with the Tibetan issue realistically," the Dalai Lama said.

(Times of India)