Purpose of Dalai's Taiwan Trip Questionable: Article

The Xinhua News Agency published a signed article, titled "Behind Dalai Lama's Trip to 'Preach Buddhism' in Taiwan", Sunday, casting doubts about the purpose of the Dalai's Taiwan tour because it coincides with the increasingly rampant "Taiwan independence" activities in the island province.

Ever since the leader of the Taiwan authorities took office last year, activities of "Taiwan independence forces" have been causing a great clamor, with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and other stubborn separatists advocating to make a "new constitution", establish the "Republic of Taiwan", and apply for a United Nations seat under the name of the "Republic of Taiwan".

"With such a political backdrop, how could Dalai's trip be a pure 'religious tour'?" the article asked.

To make a comparison, the article recalled the Dalai's first Taiwan journey from March 22 to 27, 1997. Although the Dalai said his trip was aimed at spreading Buddhism in the province, he met with all the political leaders including Lee Teng-hui, the then " president" of Taiwan.

During the Dalai's trip, Taiwan newspaper "United Daily News" said in its editorial that his tour was not only a pure "religious trip" but also of great political importance, and that Dalai's visit had "won acquiescence from the government of the Republic of China on the status of the Tibetan government-in-exile."

Meanwhile, the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, of Japan, pointed out that the aim of the Dalai's visit was to probe how to play the " Taiwan card" in his dialogue with Beijing.

In talks with a delegation of the DPP, the Dalai claimed that Tibet had been an independent state since ancient times and he accused Taiwan's "Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission" of splitting up the "Tibetan government-in-exile", according to Sing Tao Jih Pao, a Hong Kong-based daily. The DPP supported the Dalai's independent views and his proposal to open up a "representative office" in Taiwan, Sing Tao Jih Pao was quoted as reporting.

On March 28, 1997, Wen Wei Po, a Hong Kong-based newspaper, published an article commenting on the nature of the Dalai's trip, exposing a series of collaborations and exchanges between the Dalai and the then Taiwan authorities headed by Lee Teng-hui.

According to the signed article, the above facts show that there were three political purposes behind the Dalai's first Taiwan tour as follows:

-- To collaborate with separatist forces in Taiwan and use the issue of Taiwan for the purpose of "Tibet independence";

-- To abolish Taiwan's "Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission" which had been advocating "Tibet is part of China" to make way for the setting-up of a "representative office" of the Dalai clique in Taiwan;

-- To raise funds for separatist activities.

The refusal to meet with the Dalai Lama by several Buddhist leaders in Taiwan shows that his Taiwan trip was never a "pure religious tour" but a tour with distinct political and economic purposes, the signed article said.

For the past four decades, the Dalai Lama has continued to make political deals in a religious robe, the article stressed. His preachings were always coupled with meetings with the press and political leaders to advocate "Tibet independence", it noted.

While preaching on Buddhist ideas to deliver all living creatures from torment, the Dalai Lama has been collecting funds for the purpose of splitting the motherland, it said.

Since the Dalai's first Taiwan visit four years ago, the " Tibetan office" has been set up in Taiwan and the collaborations between "Taiwan independence forces" and "Tibet independence forces" are no longer furtive, the article said.

It stressed that the Dalai's second Taiwan trip will certainly be a political visit for collaborating with "Taiwan independence forces" to separate the motherland, regardless of the 10-day schedule which includes many preachings and religious ceremonies.

Let's wait and see how Dalai will perform during his "religious trip" to Taiwan, the article said.

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