The success of democracies in Taiwan, India and Japan has given the Dalai Lama confidence that democracy is compatible with Asian nations, Tibet’s spiritual leader said yesterday, adding that the regional examples should inspire Tibetans to also implement full democracy.
The Dalai Lama made the remarks in an interview with foreign journalists, including the Central News Agency.
He said he was particularly -impressed by Taiwan’s rule of law, as demonstrated by the jailing of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who he referred to as “a good friend of mine,” after Chen was convicted on corruption charges.
The Dalai Lama said he hoped Taiwanese would remain confident and courageous in the face of a rapidly changing world.
He said he also hoped that Taiwan would keep upholding such universal values as democracy, the rule of law and transparency.
On March 10, the Dalai Lama announced his intention to relinquish his political role to a popularly elected leader.
“My desire to devolve authority has nothing to do with a wish to shirk responsibility. It is for the benefit Tibetans in the long run, “ he said at the time.
The Cabinet of the Tibetan -government-in-exile has agreed to honor his decision, but the -parliament-in-exile, which convened on March 14, wanted the Dalai Lama to continue to lead the Tibetan people.
The 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate said: “If they [lawmakers] come tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, then I will tell them no. An institution that is the head of both temporal and spiritual; that must end; that is outdated.”
He said he made the decision himself and that he was not under any pressure. The Dalai Lama said that his leadership was as outdated as a monarchy and he insisted that he would abolish the four-century-old tradition that Tibet’s spiritual leader also reigns as the political leader.
“Rule by spiritual leaders — by kings or rajas — is now outdated,” said the Dalai Lama, who has been calling for democratic reform since the 1960s. “I do not want to be like [ousted Egyptian president Hosni] Mubarak.”
HONG KONG SECURITY: The president blasted regulations requiring Taiwanese agents or political organizations to provide information on their Hong Kong-related activities President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday warned of countermeasures should controversial Chinese national security legislation imposed on Hong Kong undermine or harm Taiwanese interests. Article 43 of the legislation empowers the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to serve written notices to Taiwanese political organizations or individual agents to furnish information on their Hong Kong-related activities, including their personal particulars, finances, assets, expenditure and capital in the territory. Failure to comply or providing false or incomplete information can result in a fine of HK$100,000 (US$12,903) or imprisonment of six months or two years respectively. Tsai said that Taiwan would keep a close watch on how
JUST QUESTIONS: Expelled reporter Ai Kezhu said that every member of Southeast Television had complied with the law and had not appeared on any talk shows Two Chinese reporters yesterday left Taiwan after the government revoked their accreditation and ordered them to leave amid a probe into allegations that several Chinese media outlets have set up studios and produced political talk shows in Taiwan. The two reporters — Ai Kezhu (艾珂竹) and Lu Qiang (盧薔) — worked for Fujian Province-based Southeast Television and arrived in Taiwan in December last year. The Mainland Affairs Council has launched an investigation after local media reported that Chinese broadcasters — including China Central Television, Southeast Television and FJTV — had set up studios in Taipei and produced political talk shows. Council Deputy Minister
PROBE LAUNCHED: An officer who served as a supervisor in the drill died in an apparent suicide after the accident, which was caused by unexpected waves Two marines who were on Friday injured in a military exercise in the waters off Kaohsiung passed away yesterday, Navy Command said. The marines — surnamed Tsai (蔡), 26, and a sergeant surnamed Chen (陳), 36 — were in a seven-member Marine Corps team that encountered rough seas during a simulated response to enemy forces landing on Taiwan. Their rubber craft overturned in waters off Taoziyuan (桃子園) beach in Zuoying District (左營), injuring four of the marines. They were rushed to hospital, where three of them — Tsai, Chen and a 34-year-old sergeant — were taken to an intensive care unit
‘SIGNAL TO ALLIES’: The US Navy’s exercises are not in response to those carried out by China, the commander of the strike group led by the USS ‘Ronald Reagan’ said Two US aircraft carriers were yesterday conducting exercises in the disputed South China Sea, the US Navy said as China also carried out military drills that have been criticized by the US Department of Defense and neighboring states. China and the US have accused each other of stoking tension in the waterway at a time of strained relations over everything from COVID-19 to trade to Hong Kong. The USS Nimitz and USS Ronald Reagan were carrying out operations and exercises in the South China Sea “to support a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the navy said in a statement. It did not say exactly
RSS