The Dalai Lama indicated Thursday he was in informal talks with China to make a historic pilgrimage to his Tibetan homeland after more than half a century in exile. In an interview with AFP at his base in northern India, the Tibetan spiritual leader also spoke of his optimism about the new leadership in Beijing and of his hopes for a peaceful end to the stand-off in Hong Kong. But he also criticised China over its treatment of dissidents, particularly for its recent jailing for life of a prominent Uyghur poet. Now aged 79, the Dalai Lama has been exiled from Tibet since he fled a failed uprising in 1959. But he revealed that he had “made clear” his desire to undertake a pilgrimage to a sacred mountain in Tibet to contacts in China, including “retired officials”. “It’s not finalised, not yet, but the idea is there,” he said during celebrations to mark 25 years since he won the Nobel peace prize. “Not formally or seriously, but informally… I express, this is my desire, and some of my friends, they are also showing their genuine interest or concern,” he added.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 04:00:14 +0000
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