H.H. talks to Chinese activists and rights lawyer through video-conference

Phayul[Thursday, January 06, 2011 14:20]

By Kalsang Rinchen His Holiness has a light moment during the video-conference with two prominent Chinese activists. Jan 4, 2011, Photo/OHHDL Dharamsala, January 6 – “My faith in the Chinese people is still unshaken,” the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama would often tell reporters, who wondered why talks between Beijing and his envoys failed to advance. The Tibetan leader usually asks Tibetans in various parts of the world to engage with Chinese people on “individual level” and “talk with them” about what the Tibetan government is seeking through the Middle Way Approach. And the Tibetan leader has set many examples in the past of engagements with Chinese people including exclusive meetings with Chinese students in universities that he visits, meeting with Chinese people at his residence here, answering questions from Chinese people on Twitter in May last year, among others. Now the Tibetan leader has moved a step further by holding on January 4 a video-conference with 2 prominent Chinese from mainland. Arranged by noted Chinese writer Wang Lixong, the Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama sat in front of a MacBook Pro and talked with noted Chinese civil rights activist Teng Biao and prominent Human Rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong. The Tibetan leader was assisted by his Secretary (Chinese language) Ngaba Tsegyam. Teng Biao asked, “Open discussion and understanding between the Chinese people and the Tibetan people, between Chinese intellectuals and Tibetan intellectuals, is instrumental to the peaceful resolution of the Sino-Tibet problem. What steps do you intend to take to improve the ties between the two sides and what problems do you see in doing so?” Jiang Tianyong asked, “The recent report emerging out of Wikileaks indicated that you have told officials at the American Embassy in New Delhi that the world should focus its attention of the environmental problems in Tibet which can not wait and that the Tibetans can wait for five to 10 years for a political solution. Is that true? What solutions do you suggest for it and what are your actual views on this?” Wang Lixong sits in front of his computer during the video-conference. Photo: Boxun Wang started the conversation with a few questions from the 319 questions he had collected for the chat session he had earlier in May with the Tibetan leader on Twitter. “How will non-violence and non-cooperation work against the communist government of China? And if it works, how will the Tibetans benefit through this approach?” asked Wang. The Tibetan leader was asked how he viewed Ngaboe Ngawang Jigme, a controversial man who is viewed by many as a traitor but whose death in 2009 was mourned by the Tibetan government in exile which also paid respects to him. The Tibetan leader was asked if there were any individual or group in exile upon whom he has no influence or control. The Tibetan leader was also asked if he recognizes the democratic government in Taiwan. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has an official website on his name, a Facebook page, aTwitter account, a Youtube page and now maybe a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) account.