Dalai Lama murder plot
May 15, 2012
In an interview with the British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph, the Tibetan spiritual leader said that he was told that Chinese authorities had been plotting to poison him by using Tibetan women posing as devotees.
"They were supposed to seek blessing from me, and touch my hand," the Dalai Lama said during his trip to London on Monday. The Buddhist monk, however, fell short of providing proof of his allegation and said that there was "no possibility to cross-check" the authenticity of the plot.
China's reaction
The Chinese government has denied the allegation. Responding to the interview, Beijing said the Dalai Lama was "deceiving the world" and "spreading false information" about China.
"The Dalai Lama always engages in anti-China activities globally wearing his religious cloak, spreading false information, deceiving the world and confusing the public," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters on Monday. "His most recent statement is not even worth refuting," he added.
China accuses the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of seeking to split Tibet, a claim which has been repeatedly denied by the Tibetan leader. The Dalai Lama says he only seeks greater autonomy for Tibet, which faces continued political and religious oppression under the Communist regime.
The Templeton Prize for the Dalai Lama
Beijing has also condemned the Dalai Lama's meeting with the British Prime Minister Cameron as an "affront to the Chinese people."
"This is a serious interference in China's internal affairs and an affront to the Chinese people, undermining China-UK relations," said Hong.
On Monday, the Dalai Lama met British Prime Minister David Cameron before receiving the prestigious Templeton Prize for his efforts to encourage "serious scientific investigative reviews of the power of compassion." He said he would donate the 1.5 million euro prize money to the Save the Children organization to help malnourished Indian children.
The Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in India, fled China in 1959. He announced his retirement from his political role last year, saying he would only focus on spiritual duties.
shs/sb (AFP, dpa)