Eight Nobel laureates support Tibet cause

Eight Nobel peace laureates Tuesday expressed support to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama's efforts to achieve "meaningful autonomy" for the Tibetan people and urged China to take immediate steps to resolve the status of Tibet.

"A group of Nobel peace laureates have expressed their support to the Dalai Lama's non-violent efforts to achieve meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people," said a statement posted on the Central Tibetan Administration website.

Three of them - Mairead Corrigan, Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams - met the Dalai Lama. They handed over the letter signed by eight Nobel laureates to the Dalai Lama at a function here Tuesday.

Besides the three, the other signatories were Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Adolfo Perez Equivel, Betty Williams and Wangari Maathai.

The statement said: "For 50 years, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have waged a peaceful struggle to preserve their ancient culture, religion, language and identity.

"As the issue of Tibet remains tragically unresolved and Tibetans continue to endure harsh and repressive conditions in Tibet, we, as Nobel Peace laureates, wish to express our grave concern about the survival of Tibetan identity and offer our support to His Holiness for his non-violent efforts to attain meaningful autonomy for the Tibetan people.

"While the Tibetan people continue to face a dark and painful chapter in their history, they have succeeded in preserving their cultural traditions in exile and contributing their knowledge to many fields of human endeavour... We urge the Chinese government to take immediate and constructive steps to resolve the status of Tibet and end the oppressive policies that continue to marginalise and impoverish Tibetans in their own land.

"By implementing laws that are enshrined in the Chinese constitution for a legitimate and meaningful autonomy for all Tibetans, the Chinese government will make great strides in securing peace and unity in their country."

The Dalai Lama has been following a "middle path" policy that seeks greater autonomy for Tibetans rather than complete independence.

The elderly monk, a recipient of the US Congressional Gold Medal, has increasingly voiced his frustration with the situation and has said he has now given up trying to win concessions from Beijing.

"Things are not going well...I have to accept failure... my trust with the Chinese leadership (is) now thinner, thinner, thinner," the Tibetan leader has said.

Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of being a leader of Tibetan separatists and has stepped up pressure on foreign governments that receive visits from the spiritual leader.

After India allowed exiled Tibetans to settle in India, the Dalai Lama has headed the Tibetan government-in-exile here. The Dalai Lama fled his homeland in 1959, years after China took control of Tibet.

A total of 140,000 Tibetans live in exile - over 100,000 of them in India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet.

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( 479 Words)

2009-10-27-15:26:45 (IANS)

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