ASPEN — The Dalai Lama said Saturday he is not a “demon” and not a threat to China if Chinese leaders grant Tibet autonomy.
He also said the Chinese government has lost its way from its communist roots and has become a nation of rich and poor.
“It’s the Communist Party without being led by communist ideology,” he said to an overflow crowd in Aspen attending a symposium sponsored by The Aspen Institute think tank.
The Dalai Lama said Chinese leaders have attempted to focus attention on him instead of on the Tibetan people, who are suffering as a result of a recent crackdown in Tibet.
“I’m a Buddhist monk, I’m a practitioner. Some Chinese leaders called me a demon or wolf in a monk’s robe. The truth is, I’m a simple Buddhist monk,” he said.
He said if Chinese leaders want to target him, “It doesn’t matter. Now one demon creates more demons.”
The Dalai Lama said he wants to tell the Chinese people the truth about what is going on in Tibet, but his message is being blocked.
“I always think about the Chinese people, but now the Chinese government has closed that possibility,” he said.
