Chinese leaders 'don't understand variety of cultures', prefer to remain in India: Dalai Lama
The 86-year-old spiritual leader made these remarks on Wednesday during an online news conference anchored in Tokyo.
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Dalai Lama further criticised the leaders of China, saying that the "narrow-minded Chinese Communist leaders" did not appreciate the unique culture in Tibet and Xinjiang.
He said the problem emanated from "too much control by Han people," the largest ethnic group in China. "I know Communist Party leaders since Mao Zedong. Their ideas (are) good. But sometimes they do much extreme, tight control," Dalai Lama was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
The Dalai Lama, along with his followers, fled to India from Tibet in 1959 during an invasion by the Chinese forces. China calls the Buddhist monk a 'separatist', seeking to secede Tibet from China.
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During the event, the Dalai Lama also praised Taiwan, saying the island was the true repository of China's ancient culture since on the mainland it was now "too politicised".
Furthermore, the leader said he had no plan to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. However, expressed a wish to visit again to see old friends.
"I prefer to remain here in India, peacefully," he added while praising it as a centre of religious harmony.
-PTC News
