Cable 220120 - Dalai Lama on Climate Change and Tibet

[Nagarjuna]

Cable 220120 - Dalai Lama on Climate Change and Tibet
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/220120

Monday, 10 August 2009, 13:20
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001667
SIPDIS
EO 12958 DECL: 08/08/2019
TAGS SENV, PHUM, PREL, PGOV, PREF, KDEM, CH, IN
SUBJECT: DALAI LAMA SEEKS U.S. ENGAGEMENT WITH CHINA ON
CLIMATE CHANGE IN TIBET, SAYS POLITICAL AGENDA CAN WAIT
REF: A. 08 NEW DELHI 2884 B. NEW DELHI 1487
Classified By: Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer for Reasons 1.4 (B and D)
Summary
1. In a meeting with Ambassador Timothy Roemer before travelling to
Washington, the Dalai Lama argued that the US should engage China on
climate change on Tibet as political change could wait five or ten
years. Key passages highlighted in yellow.
1. (C) SUMMARY. In a August 8 introductory meeting, the Ambassador
sought the Dalai Lama's views on his upcoming October visit to the
U.S. and his strategy for engaging China. The Dalai Lama suggested the
U.S. engage China on climate change in Tibet, recognizing that
Tibetans could wait five to ten years for a political solution. The
Ambassador assured the Dalai Lama that climate change was a priority
for President Obama and the U.S. was prepared to work with China and
India. Regarding next steps in dialogue with China, the Dalai Lama
reported that he awaited a positive sign from China before attempting
to reengage the PRC; in the meantime, he continued to strengthen ties
with Chinese scholars and authors. The Dalai Lama supported closer
U.S.-India relations and praised the Secretary's recent visit to
India. He doubted the sustainability of China's authoritarian regime
and warned that if China achieved its global aspirations, it would
resemble the former Soviet Union. The Dalai Lama said he had no
specific goals for his trip to Washington, adding that President Obama
should not expect any change in the Tibetans' stance. END SUMMARY.
Focus on Climate Change :
----------
2. (C) The Dalai Lama argued that the political agenda should be
sidelined for five to ten years and the international community should
shift its focus to climate change on the Tibetan plateau. Melting
glaciers, deforestation, and increasingly polluted water from mining
projects were problems that "cannot wait." The Dalai Lama criticized
China's energy policy, alleging that dam construction in Kham and Amdo
have displaced thousands of Tibetans and left temples and monasteries
underwater. He recommended the PRC compensate Tibetans for disrupting
their nomadic lifestyle with vocational training, such as weaving.
3. (C) The Dalai Lama requested the United States consider engaging
China on environmental issues in Tibet and suggested increased
collaboration between U.S. and Chinese scientists. The Ambassador
assured the Dalai Lama that President Obama remained concerned about
climate change and specifically asked him to address the issue in
India and the region.
Waiting for the PRC to Reengage
----------
4. (C) The Dalai Lama reiterated that while his faith in the Chinese
government had grown "thinner" after eight rounds of failed
negotiations, his faith in the Chinese people had "never shaken."
During the past year, the Dalai Lama met with several hundred Chinese
scholars and writers to discuss Tibet. The Dalai Lama was heartened by
the increased "expressions of solidarity from Chinese brothers and
sisters" and reported that 682 Chinese-language articles focused on
Tibet were published over the past year. The Dalai Lama conveyed he
would continue to engage the Chinese people who wanted a more open
society.
5. (C) The Dalai Lama provided the Ambassador with a brief account of
the most recent negotiations between his envoys and the PRC,
expressing disappointment that the Chinese government had rejected the
Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy before his envoys reached Beijing (Ref
A). When Ambassador Roemer inquired about sending envoys to Beijing
again, The Dalai Lama needed some positive sign from the PRC that it
was prepared for substantive dialogue because Tibetans currently felt
China preferred "ruthless oppression." On the sidelines of the
meeting, Representative of the Dalai Lama in India Tempa Tsering told
Poloff that the clarification note for the Memorandum of Autonomy had
not been completed and confirmed he would send the Embassy a copy of
the note after its completion (Ref B).
PRC's Authoritarian System "Not Sustainable"
----------
6. (C) The Dalai Lama told the Ambassador that "narrow mindedness" had
led China to feel threatened by Tibetans' desire to preserve their
culture and language. "The past was
NEW DELHI 00001667 002 OF 002
the past," and now Tibetans and Chinese must envision a new reality
based on "common sense and common interest." The European Union and
United Kingdom were examples of countries uniting for these reasons,
while preserving national identity. He cited these examples as high
goals to aspire toward for this region's peace and prosperity. The
Dalai Lama acknowledged the greatness of China and its people, but
maintained that the authoritarian system was not sustainable. If China
succeeded in becoming a superpower, it would resemble the former
Soviet Union, securing its rule using suspicion and fear. The U.S.
should consider China's values when doing business with the PRC and
strive to bring China into the democratic mainstream.
October Visit
----------
7. (SBU) When the Ambassador asked about the objective of his October
visit to Washington, the Dalai Lama replied that he had "no particular
points at this moment," adding President Obama should not anticipate a
shift from the Middle Way. He underlined that Prime Minister-in-exile
Samdhong Rinpoche was the "real authority" and would set the political
agenda. The Dalai Lama applauded efforts to strengthen the U.S.-India
relationship, adding it was "logical and essential" for the two
greatest democracies to collaborate closely. He told the Ambassador
that his Indian friends praised the Secretary's visit and urged the
U.S. and India to continue along this positive trajectory, "whether
other countries like it or not." The Ambassador said the U.S.-India
partnership is a top priority for President Obama and Secretary
Clinton and we were pursuing a broad and deep strategic partnership.
8. (C) COMMENT. The Dalai Lama's message to the Ambassador may signal
a broader shift in strategy to reframe the Tibet issue as an
environmental concern. When Ambassador Roemer discussed the importance
of climate change issues and mentioned bilateral projects between the
U.S. and India, the Dalai Lama said that there were "three poles" in
danger of melting: the north pole, the south pole, and the glaciers at
the pole of Tibet. Tibetans have watched closely as the United States
launched the new Strategic and Economic Dialogue with China, with
climate change as a main focus, as well as the Secretary's emphasis on
climate change during her July visit to India. In this new context,
the Dalai Lama appears intent on leveraging closer U.S.-China
relations to address the pressing environmental challenges and
problems in Tibet. END COMMENT. ROEMER
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/16/wikileaks-dalai-lama-climate-change
The Dalai Lama told US diplomats last year that the international
community should focus on climate change rather than politics in Tibet
because environmental problems were more urgent, secret American
cables reveal.
The exiled Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader told Timothy Roemer, the
US ambassador to India, that the "political agenda should be sidelined
for five to 10 years and the international community should shift its
focus to climate change on the Tibetan plateau" during a meeting in
Delhi last August.
"Melting glaciers, deforestation and increasingly polluted water from
mining projects were problems that 'cannot wait', but the Tibetans
could wait five to 10 years for a political solution," he was reported
as saying.Though the Dalai Lama has frequently raised environmental
issues, he has never publicly suggested that political questions take
second place, nor spoken of any timescale with such precision.
Roemer speculated, in his cable to Washington reporting the meeting,
that "the Dalai Lama's message may signal a broader shift in strategy
to reframe the Tibet issue as an environmental concern".In their
meeting, the ambassador reported, the Dalai Lama criticised China's
energy policy, saying dam construction in Tibet had displaced
thousands of people and left temples and monasteries underwater.
He recommended that the Chinese authorities compensate Tibetans for
disrupting their nomadic lifestyle with vocational training, such as
weaving, and said there were "three poles" in danger of melting – the
north pole, the south pole, and "the glaciers at the pole of Tibet".
The cables also reveal the desperate appeals made by the Dalai Lama
for intervention by the US during unrest in Tibet during spring 2008.
As a heavy crackdown followed demonstrations and rioting, he pleaded
with US officials to take action that would "make an impact" in
Beijing.
At the end of one 30-minute meeting, a cable reports that the Dalai
Lama embraced the embassy's officials and "made a final plea".
"Tibet is a dying nation. We need America's help," he was reported as
saying.Other cables reveal US fears that the influence of the 75-year-
old Dalai Lama over the Tibetan community in exile might be waning or
that a succession to his leadership could pose problems.
In June 2008, officials reported that their visit to six Tibetan
refugee settlements across north and north-eastern India "underscores
concerns that frustrated and dissatisfied Tibetan youth ... could pose
serious problems".
"A widening generational divide finds Tibetan leaders unable to
resolve growing dissatisfaction among younger Tibetans," the officials
said.
In February, following the ninth round of talks in Beijing between the
Tibetan government in exile, known as the Central Tibetan
Administration (CTA), and Chinese officials, US diplomats predicted
that "the Chinese government's international credibility on human
rights will continue to decline as Tibetans gain further access to
media tools".
In a section of the cable entitled "A militant Shangri-La?", a
reference to the fictional mythical Himalayan kingdom, the officials
explained: "Their frustration's effect on the Tibetan movement could
be exacerbated by the passage of time, as the Dalai Lama's increasing
age inevitably slows down his gruelling travel schedule and his
potential ability to continue to capture the world's attention on his
people's plight."
A final point, made repeatedly by officials, is that the Indian
government's policy towards the Tibetans in exile is likely to be
decided by public sentiment.
In one confidential cable of March 2008, an official told Washington
that Shiv Shankar Menon, the current Indian national security adviser
and then India's top diplomat, had explained to the US ambassador that
though "the Tibetan movement has the sympathy of the Indian public,
and India has been a generally supportive home to tens of thousands of
Tibetans, including the Dalai Lama, for nearly 50 years ... the tacit
agreement that Tibetans are welcome in India as long as they don't
cause problems is being challenged at a time when India's complex
relationship with Beijing is churning with border issues, rivalry for
regional influence, a growing economic interdependence, the nascent
stages of joint military exercises, and numerous other priorities".
The US officials concluded that "while the [government of India] will
never admit it", New Delhi's "balancing act with India's Tibetans
[would] continue for the foreseeable future, with the caveat that a
rise in violence – either by Tibetans here or by the Chinese security
forces in Tibet – could quickly tip the balance in favour of the side
with greater public support".