Dalai Lama thanks Taiwan for friendship and support

Mar 26, 2008, 11:31 GMT

Taipei - Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has thanked Taiwan for the moral support Taipei has extended towards Tibetan exiles' fight for freedom of Tibet, the Presidential Office said Wednesday.

The Dalai Lama expressed gratitude to Taiwan in a letter to President Chen Shui-bian, passed by the Dalai Lama's representative office in Taipei.

In his letter, the leader of Tibetan exiles thanked Chen and the Taiwan government for the support and friendship over so many years, especially Taipei's concern over the recent uprising in Tibet, the Presidential Office said in a statement.

The Dalai Lama also hailed Taiwan's March 22 presidential election as an example of Taiwan's people's 'embracing democracy' and 'setting a model' for Asian countries.

Although Chen's ruling party DPP lost in the election, the letter said, Tibetan people want to thank Chen and the Taiwan government for Taipei's support and friendship over all these years.

The 72-year-old Dalai Lama visited Taiwan in 1997 and 2001 to spread Buddhism and to open a representative office, but he declined Chen's further invitation to visit Taiwan, for fear of hurting his ties with China.

Since fleeing Tibet following an abortive uprising against China in 1959, the Dalai Lama has been seeking to open dialogue with Beijing and to return to Tibet.

China has held six rounds of talks with the Dalai Lama's envoy, but has barred him from returning home for fear he might incite Tibetans to seek independence for Tibet.

President Chen on many occasions has condemned China's suppression of Tibetans, saying the future of Tibet must be decided by the Tibetan people and the future of Taiwan must be decided by the Taiwan people.