By IANS,
Dharamsala: The Dalai Lama Saturday expressed his desire to visit earthquake-hit areas in China to provide solace to the victims and expressed satisfaction over the relief work carried out there.
“I am deeply concerned about the families of quake victims in Yushu region of Tibet. I am eager to go there myself to offer comfort to the injured and the families of victims,” an official statement, quoting the Nobel laureate, said here.
Over 1,000 people were killed and more than 11,744 injured when the 7.1-magnitude quake struck Yushu in the Tibetan Autonomous Region Wednesday.
“Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected. I commend the monastic community, young people and many other individuals from nearby areas for their good neighbourly support and assistance to the families of those who have lost everything,” he said.
The spiritual guru also praised Chinese authorities for visiting the quake-affected areas.
“I also applaud Chinese authorities for visiting the affected areas, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who has not only personally offered comfort to the affected communities, but has also overseen the relief work,” he said.
“In 2008, when a similar earthquake struck Sichuan, Chinese central and local government leaders and auxiliary authorities took great pains to provide relief, allow free access to the media, as well as clearing the way for international relief agencies to provide assistance as required. I applauded these positive moves then and appeal for such ease of access on this occasion too,” he said.
“When Sichuan was rocked, I wished to visit the affected areas to pray and comfort the people there, but I was unable to do so. However, when Taiwan was struck by a typhoon last year (2009), I was able to visit the affected families and pray with them for those who had perished in that disaster. In providing some solace to the people concerned, I was happy to be able to do something useful,” the Dalai Lama said.
“This time the location of the earthquake happens to be a place where both the late Panchen Lama and I were born. To fulfill the wishes of many of the people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort,” he noted.
The Dalai Lama also appealed to governments, international aid organisations and other agencies to extend whatever assistance they can to enable the families of those devastated by this tragedy to rebuild their lives.
The Dalai Lama has lived in this north Indian hill station since fleeing his homeland in 1959. Over 150,000 Tibetans live outside Tibet, most of them in India.