His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, visited Japan November 15-26, speaking to a cross section of people in a number of cities across both the central and western regions of the country. I had a chance to hear him speak on three occasions during his visit.

　　　The Dalai Lama, whom I had the great honor of interviewing when he was in Japan last year, looked very well. On November 16th, following a lecture at the Chiba Industrial College west of Tokyo, a small group of us had lunch with the revered visitor, who demonstrated a hearty appetite. A nest of lunch boxes, somewhat larger than average, contained side-dishes specially prepared by his chef made up mainly of colorful vegetables, which he consumed with steamed rice served in a smaller bowl. Saying he loves Japanese rice, His Holiness polished off most of the vegetables, laughing merrily as he munched on a second helping of hot rice with gusto, his facial expression showing how much he was enjoying himself. This vigorous appetite must be the source of his seemingly inexhaustible energy.

　　　Wherever he goes around the world, the Dalai Lama tells people that he is no different from the rest of the 7 billion human beings on earth—explaining with an affable smile that he is not a special human being because “I am no different from you.” Time and again, His Holiness explains that it is vital for every human being to have the freedom to pursue happiness and think and speak freely. These remarks by the Dalai Lama can be construed as criticism against China for continuing to suppress and kill Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian dissidents. However, his true intention is not necessarily denunciation of China.

　　　On November 19th, Spain’s National Court issued international arrest warrants for former Chinese President Jiang Zemin, former Premier Li Peng, and   three other former top officers of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including Qiao shi, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, as part of a probe into alleged genocide against the Tibetans in China. Asked about the court decision, the Dalai Lama pointed out that one must first come to grips with the “complicated circumstances” in China before discussing whether or not the Spanish decision is right, explaining:

　　　“When one looks beyond past actions on the part of Chinese leaders, it becomes quite clear that Jiang Zemin as President of China was seriously secluded from the reality of the world—totally detached from the truth. It is the system of a secluded and closed society that produces leaders who go to the extremes of committing genocide.”

Gentler Posture towards China 

　　　In other words, it is the particular regime in China that compelled both Jiang Zemin and Li Peng to issue orders for the suppression and massacre of the Tibetans, according to the Dalai Lama, who maintains that individuals must not necessarily be held wholly responsible. But then, the suppression of Tibetans by the CCP and the Han Chinese is so savage that young Tibetan monks continue to immolate themselves in protest. Given that several million Tibetans are known to have been tortured or killed in China, international support of the action by the Spanish court should not be regarded as unreasonable. However, the Dalai Lama is not necessarily inclined to agree with such a conclusion. He declares that the Chinese regime is wrong but that the responsibility of individual leaders must be assessed within such a framework.

　　　Such an unexpectedly gentle posture towards China is reflected in the Dalai Lama’s assessment of Xi Jinping as the new Chinese leader. He observed:

　　　“The current Chinese leadership, namely President Xi, obviously is trying to see things as realistically as possible. In point of fact, he apparently values very highly the political approach advocated by Hu Yaobang.”

　　　Hu fell from power during the Cultural Revolution but was later rehabilitated and appointed as CCP General Secretary in 1980. However, he was to incur the displeasure of Deng Xiaoping, the “paramount leader,” for showing sympathy to students and citizens alike. Deng instructed Hu to stringently deal with the liberal tendency gradually spreading among Chinese intelligentsia at the time. Deng, who detested liberal ideas as the cause of “spiritual contamination” on the part of the Chinese people, strongly denounced Hu, accusing him of being “weak-kneed towards liberalization,” which he described as Hu’s “fundamental defect (as a leader).” In January 1987, Hu was forced to resign as CCP General Secretary He died two years later, in 1989. We still remember the throngs of Chinese students who gathered in Tiananmen Square to mourn his death.

　　　Nearly a quarter century later, Hu still maintains high popularity among Chinese students and intellectuals, viewed as a humane leader. Saying President Xi has great respect for Hu, the Dalai Lama pointed out:

　　　“Many of my Indian friends who have met Xi have a good impression of the new Chinese leader.”

　　　The Dalai Lama referred to this assessment of the top Chinese leader in many of his addresses this time. Also noteworthy was the tone of his remarks aimed at Japanese parliamentarians who came to hear him speak at the House of Councilors Office Building November 20th.

　　　Facing 141 attendees representing eight political parties, including 103 law makers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the visitor discussed a number of matters, including the unceasing self-immolation of Tibetan monks protesting Chinese suppression, as well as en viromental issues such as preservation of water resources. This year’s session with the Dalai Lama was in marked contrast to last year’s, which attracted a total of 232 parliamentarians who came to hear the Tibetan spiritual leader speak under the auspices of the Coalition of Parliamentarians Supporting Tibet. This year, the session was not sponsored by the Coalition but by a less formal group of interested Diet members instead. Many of the attendees left halfway through the address, giving one the impression that they weren’t genuinely interested in listening. However, towards the end of a scheduled one-hour session, it was obvious that the Dalai Lama wanted to talk more.

Cruel and Enormous Threat

　　　Only around 20 parliamentarians stayed behind, as others obviously were occupied with prearranged activities, such as attending Diet committee meetings. Speaking to his small audience, the Dalai Lama said:

　　　“Two years ago, I relegated all my political authority to Prime Minister Losbang Sangay, so I am not in a position to discuss politics now. However, I have something important to emphasize today. That is, we the Tibetan people are not demanding independence from China. We are ready to leave security and foreign policy matters to China altogether. We will be happy to remain a part of China. What is most important to us Tibetans is to live within China while being guaranteed that we will be able to safeguard Tibetan Buddhism and our indigenous language, as well as our culture. Really, we are not aiming at Tibet’s independence.”

　　　Can this be construed as a clear message to China? Coupled with his generous assessment of the caliber of China’s new leadership, can it not be interpreted as an expectation that the CCP begin to take an enlightened new approach toward the ‘Tibetan problem’?

　　　On the other hand, the Dalai Lama’s statement may have also been a message directed at Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. One of the aspects of the Dalai Lama’s visit most keenly speculated upon this time was whether a meeting with Abe would take place. Unfortunately, it fell through. Abe had met the Dalai Lama on his last visit, but only as head of the opposition party.

　　　It is not difficult to imagine how desperately China, greatly concerned about the promotion of ties between the Dalai Lama and the Japanese government, must have worked at all levels, trying to prevent Abe from meeting the Dalai Lama. I wonder if the Dalai Lama intended to create an atmosphere under such circumstances in which Abe would find it easier to receive him by stressing publicly that, as the Tibetan spiritual leader, he has no intention whatsoever of seeking independence from China.

　　　The Dalai Lama concluded his remarks by referring to repeated self-immolations by Tibetans, lamenting as he drew in a deep breath:

　　　“I feel very deep sorrow over those tragic happenings. Nothing saddens me more greatly than thinking of the young mother who recently burned herself to death, survived by her two little children. However, one must realize that self-immolations by Tibetans can hardly constitute a force powerful enough by themselves to cause a change in the Chinese regime.”

　　　I cannot agree more. The Communist Party of China will never be so softhearted as to be affected by Tibetan suicides—no matter how many Tibetans may kill themselves. I firmly believe that Japan must stand ready to support the Tibetan people, whose integrity, legacy, and security are constantly imperiled by the cruel and powerfuls threat that China represents.

(Translated from “Renaissance Japan” column no. 585 in the December 5, 2013 issue of The Weekly Shincho)