By IANS
Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh) : The anti-China protests in Tibet have proved that the Tibet issue is here to stay, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama said Sunday.
“These protests have conveyed to the world that the Tibet issue can no longer be neglected by the world,” he said in a statement after leading a prayer meeting in this northern Indian town that is his seat in exile since he fled Tibet in 1959.
The Dalai Lama feared more repression of Tibetans in Tibet, but he appealed to the Tibetan protesters “to stick to our non-violent practice and not waver from this path at any cost”.
“The Chinese have been accusing me of instigating these events in Tibet. This is totally untrue and I have made repeated appeals for an international body to conduct a thorough investigation in the matter.”
He reiterated his support for the Beijing Olympics and said: “I feel the Tibetans should not cause any hindrance to the Games.”
“Our struggle is with only a few Chinese leaders and not the Chinese people,” he added.
The Dalai Lama said as no international media is allowed in Tibet, “I doubt if my message will reach the Tibetans in Tibet. But I still hope through media and by word of mouth it will be passed on to the majority of you.”
The Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala and not recognised by any country, declared Sunday as a World Prayer Day and Tibetan groups in many cities across India with Tibetan settlements held services.