I Wanted to Join Communist Party: Dalai Lama
(AFP, Hong Kong | September 19, 1999)
The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader and one of the most bitter foes of Beijing, has written that he was once an admirer of Marxism and even considered joining the communist party. He appreciated the principles of "equal and just distribution of wealth" in the years before he fled Tibet in 1959 following an abortive anti-Chinese uprising, according to a brief excerpt of an article he wrote for Time magazine's September 27 edition.
"Once I understood Marxism, my attitude changed completely," he was quoted as saying in the excerpt, distributed by the magazine Sunday. "I was so attracted to Marxism, I even expressed my wish to become a Communist Party member." The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet and remains a thorn in the side of Beijing's efforts to improve its international standing, which have been hampered by allegations of human rights abuses in Tibet and elsewhere.
Chinese regimes have claimed sovereignty over Tibet repeatedly since the 13th century. When the communists came to power in China in 1949, they reasserted their claim over Tibet but only sent troops in 1951 to "liberate" the territory, as they had done with the rest of China. No further details of the Time article were given.
Friends of Tibet (INDIA),
PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050
www.friendsoftibet.org