The Dalai Lama Telegraph interview

I got this little notice on an email list I subscribe to. I think it's worth thinking about.

Terrorists Must Be Treated Humanely, Dalai Lama Tells Telegraph

April 1 (Bloomberg) -- The Dalai Lama said terrorists must be treated humanely or terrorism will spread, warning that if Osama bin Laden were killed, ten more would spring up to take his place, the Daily Telegraph reported, citing an interview.

``If there is one Bin Laden killed today, soon there will be 10 Bin Ladens,'' the exiled Tibetan leader told the London- based newspaper.
``Ten Bin Ladens killed, the hatred is spread; 100 bombed, and 1,000 lose members of their families.''

``The new terrorism has been brewing for many years,'' he said. ``Much of it is caused by jealousy and frustration at the West because it looks so highly developed and successful on television,'' he was quoted as saying.

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after a failed revolt against Chinese troops that invaded the Himalayan territory nine years earlier.
Since he left, more than a million Tibetans have been killed by the Chinese because of their refusal to stop worshipping the Lord of Compassion, the Telegraph reported.

Westerners have become ``too self-absorbed,'' the Dalai Lama also said, according to the Telegraph. ``In the West, you have bigger homes, yet smaller families; you have endless conveniences, yet you never seem to have any time.''

``I don't think people have become more selfish, but their lives have become easier and that has spoilt them,'' he was quoted as saying.
``They have less resilience, they expect more, they constantly compare themselves to others and they have too much choice -- which brings no real freedom.''

The Chinese government considers Tibet to be a part of China.

(Daily Telegraph, 4-1, 17)


To contact the reporter on this story:
Saijel Kishan in London at skishan@bloomberg.net.