Yushu quake: Dalai Lama |
Dalai Lama wishes to visit Yushu
The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who was born in what is now Qinghai Province, issued a statement on 17 April requesting that the Chinese authorities allow him to visit the quake area and show support to the many Tibetans who have been affected.
The Dalai Lama has not returned to Tibet since being forced into exile in 1959.
Dalai Lama expresses wish to visit victims of the earthquake
The Dalai Lama issued a press statement on 17 April in which he requests that the Chinese authorities allow him to visit the earthquake hit area “to fulfil the wishes of many of the people there” and “to offer them comfort”. The quake took place in Qinghai province, where the Dalai Lama himself was born.
Following the Dalai Lama’s request AFP reported a ‘buzz’ in the town of Jiegu where the earthquake hit. Youngsuo, a Tibetan woman, told an AFP reporter: "The Dalai Lama is our god. Yes, we would like to see him come back. It would bring us tremendous joy if the central government allows him to come home. The Dalai Lama is our sun.”
At the same time a petition to China’s Premier and President requesting a visit from the Dalai Lama was submitted online on a Chinese language website. The petitioners identify themselves as victims of the earthquake however this claim has not been verified.
The Dalai Lama's statement
As I mentioned briefly soon after I heard the news, I was deeply saddened by the effects of the devastating earthquake in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Tibetan:Kyigudo) of Qinghai Province which resulted in the tragic loss of many lives, a great number of injured and severe loss of property. Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected,but I would like them to know I am praying for them.
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. May your exemplary compassion continue to grow. This kind of voluntary work in the service of others really puts the bodhisattva aspiration into practice.
I also applaud the 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. I am very appreciative too that the media have been free to report on the tragedy and its aftermath.
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.
The Tibetan community in exile would like to offer whatever support and assistance it can towards the relief work. We hope to be able to do this through the proper and appropriate channels as soon as possible.
When Sichuan was rocked by an earthquake two years ago, 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, 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.
This time the location of the earthquake, Kyigudo (Chinese: Yushu), lies in Qinghai Province,which happens to be 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.
In conclusion, I appeal 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. At the same time, I also call on the survivors of this catastrophe to recognise what has happened as the workings of karma and to transform this adversity into something positive, keeping their hopes up and meeting setbacks with courage as they struggle to restore what they have lost. Once again, I pray for those who have lost their lives as well as for the well being of those who have survived.
THE DALAI LAMA
17 April 2010
The text of the petition to the Chinese leadership
Dear President Hu and Premier Wen.
When we suffered the enormous natural disaster of the earthquake, your Party and government immediately dispatched officials and soldiers and forces from all areas of society to rescue us, the victims, and we in the disaster area are extremely thankful for the government's help. But we are masses with a religious faith and for generations upon generations we Buddhists have believed in Gwalya Rinpoche the Dalai Lama. At such a time as this when we have suffered such a terrible blow we are in urgent need of the Dalai Lama to come to our disaster area and provide salvation for our dead and comfort for our wounded souls. President Hu and Premier Wen, we request that in your gracious benevolence you may satisfy the wishes of the people in the disaster area. We Tibetan victims in our tens of thousands plead with the Party and central government to set aside your grudges against the Dalai Lama for the sake of the people in the disaster area. We only wish the Dalai Lama to come to the disaster area to offer salvation for our dead and prayers for the victims. There is no other purpose to this than that of religious faith. It is only by means of the Dalai Lama visiting here to pray for our comfort that the wounds in our souls may be healed, and aside from this there is no better means.
Photos from individual sources in Tibet and Woeser's blog
These images have been submitted by various sources: printing rights may be owned by other organisations and many sources could not be verified when these images were received.
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| Photos taken at the scene of the earthquake show both Tibetan monks and Chinese relief workers pulling victims from the rubble. |
 Despite media reports stating that the quake happened in China, it actually occured in the heart of Tibet, and mainly affected Tibetans. |  Tibetans in neighbouring regions have shown their support for the relief effort, some donating the equivalent of a month's salary. |
