Lama calls for peace as Olympic torch heads to Tibet
{image-dalai lama_12062008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Sydney, June 12: Dalai Lama on Thursday appealed to Tibetans not to disturb the Olympic torch relay as it passes through the capital Lhasa next week, saying he fully supports the Beijing Olympics.
The
torch
relay
became
a
focus
of
Tibetan
pro-independence
protests
in
Paris,
London
and
other
cities
that
threatened
to
cast
a
shadow
over
the
Beijing
Games
in
August.The
protests
followed
violent
protests
against
the
Chinese
government
in
the
Tibetan
capital
of
Lhasa
in
March.
China
says
22
people
died
in
the
violence,
while
Tibet
supporters
overseas
say
many
times
that
number
were
killed
in
the
protests
and
a
subsequent
crackdown.
The
Chinese
government
blames
the
Dalai
Lama
for
the
unrest,
saying
it
was
part
of
a
campaign
to
split
Tibet
from
the
rest
of
China.
The
Dalai
Lama
has
denied
these
charges,
saying
he
wants
a
meaningful
autonomy
for
the
Tibetan
people
under
China's
rule,
not
independence.
On
Thursday,
he
reiterated
his
call
for
his
supporters
not
to
target
the
Beijing
Games.
Watch
Video
"We
have
fully
supported
the
Olympic
Games
right
from
the
beginning.
The
torch
is
part
of
that," the
Dalai
Lama
told
a
news
conference
in
Sydney.
"Over
one
billion
Chinese
brothers
and
sisters
feel
really
proud
of
that.
We
should
respect
that.
So,
I
don't
think
there
will
be
any
trouble,"
when
the
torch
relay
is
in
Tibet,
he
said.
The torch has traveled much of the world since it was lit in Athens in March. While the torch relay was haunted by protests along its international route, a focus was also put on the Chinese security forces who guarded the flame as invited participants jogged through the streets carrying the torch.
The
torch,
currently
threading
its
way
through
China,
will
be
used
to
officially
launch
the
Olympics
in
Beijing
on
Aug.
8.
China
says
it
has
ruled
Tibet
for
centuries,
although
many
Tibetans
say
their
homeland
was
essentially
an
independent
state
for
most
of
that
time.
Chinese
communist
troops
occupied
Tibet
in
1951.
Dalai
Lama
is
in
Sydney
to
deliver
a
series
of
meditation
lectures.
OneIndia News