{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/tib/dalai1.htm","path":"bud/tib/dalai1.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/dalai1.htm","text":"THAILAND - DALAI LAMA URGES RELEASE OF BURMA'S SUU KYI (FEB. 18) PAC\nRIM INTELLIGENCE REPORT - The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai\nLama, yesterday expressed hope that the efforts of the Nobel Peace\nlaureates will help to frec Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu\nKyi who has been under house arrest in Rangoon since 1989.\nThe Dalai Lama arrived here from New Delhi yesterday afternoon for a\n24-hour visit, also urged the world community to take every effort\nto secure the release of Suu Kyi.\n\"I am quite sure, in this way, we can make some contribution.\nObviously it can raise some deeper awareness in the public mind,\" he\ntold media representatives at Wat Bowon Nivet where he was to spend\nthe night. \"Eventually, I think we may achieve our goalthe release\nof Aung San Suu Kyi. It may take time,\" he said during the 30-minute\ninterview.\nAsked whether the campaign in Thailand by the Nobel laureates to\nhelp Suu Kyi would constitute interference in Burma's internal\naffairs, he said with a smile: \"Humanity knows no national boundary.\n\"\nThe Dalai Lama, whose visit here is opposed by some military leaders\nand opposition politicians, said countries help each other in times\nof suffering, such as floods, earthquakes, and famine as in Somalia.\n\"Nobody says it is interference,\" he said. \"So, similar is basic\nhuman rights. It is one kind of suffering which humanity must take\ncare (of).\"\nThe 60-year-old Dalai Lama, who has for the past 40 years been a\nsymbol of peaceful struggle by Tibetans against Chinese rule, was\nmet by the Supreme Patriarch upon his arrival at the temple amidst\nextremely tight security. An army of policemen blocked off dozens of\nwell-wishers who tried to offer him flowers.\nDescribing the Supreme Patriarch as \"my spiritual brother\", the\nDalai Lama said he was happy to be back in Thailand which he visited\ntwice in 1969 and 1972 before diplomatic relations between Thailand\nand China were normalised. He was refused an entry visa in 1987 and\n1990 by the Thai government which was afraid of offending Beijing.\nJust hours before his scheduled arrival, there was confusion as to\nwhere he would stay following reports that the milhary had objected\nto War Bowon Nivet giving him accommodation.\nThe Thai organizers of his visit wanted War Charaprathan Rangsarit\nin Nonthaburi as an alternative. But two hours before his arrival it\nwas decided that he would stay at War Bowon Nivet.\n\"The Dalai Lama asked to stay at War Bowon Nivet Wihan.\" Dr Pradit\nCharoenthaithawi, rector of Mahidon University, told reporters.\nBesides the Dalai Lama. six other Nobel Peace laureates have also\narrived in Bangkok to begin a campaign for human fights in\nneighbouring Burma.\n\"In the long-run, showing concern by all humanity would benefit\nBurma,\" the Dalai Lama said of the on-going campaigns by the\ninternational community on behalf of the Burmese people.\n\"The world is getting smaller. And everything depends on everything\nelse. Others' interests are actually our own interest also. If\nothers are happy, we will be happy. If others suffer, we ultimately\nwill suffer.\"\nThe spiritual leader. who lives in exile in India, said in 1991,\nduring a meeting in Norway with other Nobel Peace laureates, he\nsigned a joint appeal for Suu Kyi's release. Last year, he also made\na separate appeal when the Burmese government began to release some\npolitical prisoners.\nThe Dalai Lama said he had great admiration for Suu K.vi whom he\ndescribed as a \"real freedom fighter who received blood cells from\nher father\", Aung San, the father of Burmese independence.\nDr Pradit, who has been heavily cnticized by the military and the\nopposition for his role in arranging the laureates' visit, asked the\nmedia representatives to avoid asking the Dalai Lama about China or\nTibet.\nAmmy Commander in Chief Gen Wimon Wongwanit claims the laureates'\nvisit will affect Thailand's relations with China and Burma.\nBut Pradit reiterated yesterday that the Dalai Lama's visit was\nbased purely on his desire to promote Buddhism.\n\"We have no intention to bring war into our own home as alleged by\nsome people.\" he said, referring to Gen Wimon's earlier statement.\nHe said the Dalai Lama is a very disciplined religious leader and he\nwould not get involved in any political matters during his short\nstay in Thailand.\nI came here for peace. The main objective is for the release of Aung\nSan Suu Kyi,\" said the Dalai Lama, clad in his traditional red and\norange robes, to reporters who mobbed him at the airport.\nHe only smiled when some reporters asked him to comment on\nopposition among certain quarters in Thailand to his visit. (passage\nomited)\nEd.: The original creation date of this file was 1993. We are\ninferring that these events took place during that year.","title":"Dalai Lama Urges Release Of Burma's Suu Kyi (2/18/1993)","type":"page"}