Dalai Lama's retirement plans a political show: China

K J M Varma
Beijing, Mar 10 (PTI) China on Thursday shrugged off
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's plans to retire as a
"trick and a political show" and it will not have any impact
on the stability of Tibet.
"The Dalai Lama is the mastermind of a political
clique of activists of Tibetan independence. He often talked
of retirement in the past years and we think that these are
his tricks to deceive the international community," Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters here.
"As for China's policy on the Tibetan Autonomous
Region, we will continue to improve the national autonomous
system and Tibet enjoys support in economic and social
development. The Central government will also ensure the
rights and interests of all ethnic groups in Tibet," she said.
China's reaction was sharp to the announcement made in
Dharamsala in which the Dalai Lama said he would step down as
political head of Tibetan government-in-exile but will remain
as spiritual leader and continue to advocate "meaningful
autonomy" for Tibet.
Besides, Jiang termed the Tibetan government-in-exile
as an "an illegal political organisation". "No country in the
world recognises it," she said.
Reacting to the announcement, Qiangba Puncog, chairman
of the Standing Committee of Tibet Autonomous Regional
People's Congress said it is another "lie, trick and political
show which would not exert any impact on the stability of
Tibet".
"Like past, that is merely another political show of
Dalai Lama who attempts to arouse the attention of the
international community and mould public opinion," official
Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.
The so-called Tibetan "government-in-exile" is
"whatever moves they take -- Dalai Lama's 'retirement' or
electing a successor, they will be all illegal and will not be
recognised," he said, adding the Dalai Lama has talked about
his "retirement" or "semi-retirement" on many occasions over
recent years.
"No matter whether he retires or not, his political
attempt will not change. His speech is to declare publicly
that he will not give up his attempt to sabotage unity and
split China using any methods," he said.
The 75-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate, who has been at
the forefront of a six-decade-long struggle for freedom of
Tibetans, apparently stunned Beijing by announcing that he
would hand over his "formal authority" to a "freely-elected"
leader.
Goaded by US and other international community, China
held several rounds of talks with the representatives of the
Dalai Lama in the recent past to work out a rapprochement and
possible return of the Tibetan spiritual leader. But the talks
made no headway.
Significantly the Dalai Lama's announcement this comes
days ahead of the third anniversary of the March 14 riots in
Tibetan provincial capital Lhasa in which 18 people were
killed and over 400 injured.
Ahead of the anniversary, the Chinese government has
already stepped up criticism against the Dalai Lama stating
that even his death will not exert any impact on the overall
situation of Tibet.
"Of course there will be a little repercussions due to
religious factors, but we will take that into consideration
and will surely guarantee the long-term political stability in
Tibet," Qiangba said.
"I dare not say that Tibet will not see any incidents,
big or small, forever, but I dare say that the current
situation in Tibet is on the whole stable, and the Tibetan
people wish for stability and object to trouble-making," he
said.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) Chief of Tibet
Zhang Qingli recently described the Dalai Lama as a "wolf in
monk's robes" and accused him of working to separate Tibet
from China.
"I had described him in those words after the March 14
riot in Lhasa in 2008 because I think he himself is a living
Buddha but had done things beneath his status," Zhang said.
"While Dalai is a secessionist chief who fools simple
believers under the guise of religion," he said.
Padma Choling, chairman of the Tibet autonomous
regional government questioned Dalai Lama's right to appoint
as successor. Dalai Lama can not decide whether the
"institution of reincarnation", might be abolished after his
death.
"What he said does not count," he said adding that the
Tibetan Buddhism has a history of more than 1,000 years, and
the reincarnation institutions of the Dalai Lama and Panchen
Lama, (second important monk in Tibet) have been carried on
for several hundred years.
"We must respect the historical institutions and
religious rituals of Tibetan Buddhism. I am afraid it is not
up to anyone to abolish the reincarnation institution or not,"
he said.