Prospects of armed uprising in Tibet remote: book

By IANS

New York, March 29 (IANS) Prospects of an armed uprising in Tibet against China are remote because sheer numbers do not support the Tibetans, an authorised biography of the Dalai Lama says.

"Notwithstanding the outrage among their ranks, there is clear recognition among the young Tibetan exiles that they are up against a mighty adversary that now ranks among the great powers of the world," the biography "Dalai Lama: Man, Monk Mystic" by journalist and writer Mayank Chhaya says.

The book quotes Thubten Jigme Norbu (the Dalai Lama's elder brother living in the US), who considers the status of Tibet non-negotiable, as saying about an armed uprising: "One billion Chinese, six million Tibetans - what can anyone do? Even if the Chinese say come cut our throats, who is going to do that? The Tibetans will get tired and the Chinese will still be there."

Chhaya says despite the clamour for a more precipitate action by the younger generation, "the Dalai Lama's only choice is to craft a compromise for autonomy, however unpopular this decision may be with the younger generation of Tibetans".

According to the book, the Dalai Lama's "middle way" approach, which eschews any violent action and seeks meaningful autonomy, was the result of a resolution passed by the Tibetan government-in-exile on March 10, 2004.

"The Tibetan administration would like to appeal to all Tibetan organisations to support the middle-way approach and work towards creating an atmosphere conducive for dialogue," the resolution said.

The book highlights the divide between the Dalai Lama and his more pragmatic supporters and 'hotheads' among the Tibetan Youth Congress, which claims tens of thousands of members.

"It is an open question whether the Dalai Lama's demise at this stage will light a short fuse to the combustible rage in certain quarters of the young exile leadership. If the extent of the Congress' membership is any measure, there may be a fair number of members who might be willing to take the extreme step of an armed uprising," it says.

The Dalai Lama has been quoted as saying: "It is obvious that we cannot compete with the Chinese in military or diplomacy, nor in money and size. They have everything but no justice. Our whole faith, on the other hand, is in truth and justice. Tolerance is an important virtue of bodhisattvas (enlightened beings). I call it disarmament from within. Tolerance frees you from the shackles of seeking revenge or carrying out counterattack."

Chhaya's book was originally published in March last year in North America by Doubleday and in India by Mapin Publishing. It has since come out in several languages, including German, Taiwanese and Portuguese. It is expected to come out in French, Arabic and Finnish as well.