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Dalai Lama greets Chinese on eve of their New Year

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Folk dancers perform at the opening ceremony of a temple fair in Beijing on the eve of Chinese New Year Sunday, 25 January 2009. Temple fairs opened across the city as Chinese prepared to celebrate the Year of the Ox.AP/Greg Baker/China

The Dalai Lama, while greeting Chinese people on the eve of Chinese New Year of the Ox, hoped China will transform into a free and democratic society.

The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival starts tomorrow. It is a major holiday for the Chinese with people dashing home for big family reunions, making it the biggest annual movement of people in the world.

In a message issued today, the Dalai Lama said that China is emerging as a superpower in terms of political, economic and military might. However, China cannot perform the responsibilities of a super power in this modern and progressive world if there is no freedom, rule of law and transparency in the country.

The Dalai Lama lauded President Hu Jintao’s policy of creating a harmonious society. However, he said that a harmonious society should come about through mutual trust, friendship and justice. “It cannot be brought about by brute force and autocracy.”

He called for having economic facilities, freedom of conscience, education and information for Chinese people.

“These freedoms are indispensable for human societies.”

He expressed disappointment over China’s censorship of news, information and the blocking of international news services in China. He said such acts are anachronistic and are preventing Chinese people from hearing true information about the world’s events.

“I am immensely disappointed by such negative actions of the Chinese government, which greatly hamper the fundamental rights as well as the short and long-term benefits of the Chinese people.”

As a large number of Chinese intellectuals and others signed petitions last year asking for freedom, democracy, justice, equality and human rights in China, the Dalai Lama said that these indicate the Chinese people’s yearning for a free and open China.

The Dalai Lama particularly mentioned the Charter 08 — a proposal to the Chinese government calling for constitutional reform, judicial independence, freedom of expression, and human rights protection — initially signed by around 300 Chinese intellectuals and human rights activists. Since its release on 10 December 2008, more than 7,000 people inside and outside of China have signed the charter.

“We saw an increasing number of people from all walks of life signing up to an important document called the Charter ‘08.”

“This is indicative of the fact that the Chinese people, including the intellectuals, are beginning to demonstrate their deep yearnings for more openness and freedom in their country. It is, therefore, a matter for all of us to take pride in.”

Copyright © 2009 Tibet Sun

Published in Tibet Sun