During his recent private visit to Norway when asked whether he had urged a halt to the self-immolations by young Tibetans in China's vast western lands, the Dalai Lama merely replied "this is a very sensitive issue". According to him, the religious issues related to the self-immolations "are very, very complicated".

Why is such a black-or-white question so difficult for this "sage" and "religious leader"?

Tibetan Buddhism, no matter whether the religious doctrine or tradition, is clearly against taking a life, be it homicide or suicide. However, in recent years, especially from September 2012 to the early half of 2013, self-immolations have taken place in the Tibet autonomous region and Tibetan-populated regions in western China, which were masterminded and taken advantage of by the Dalai Lama clique.

In September 2012, the clique held a second "special meeting" in which self-immolation was defined as "the highest level of non-violent fight" and said it would build a memorial for the self-immolators, set up a fund, and organize exiled Tibetans to launch support campaigns to expand the international influence of self-immolation. Besides, the "meeting" even publicly put forward an extremist slogan "self-immolation will not stop unless Tibet is independent with the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet".

The Dalai Lama clique has attempted to win compassion and support in the international community by bringing out such a tragic trump card. While people with a sense of justice and goodness feel sorry for those who take their lives, the Dalai Lama praises the "sincere hearts and courage" of the self-immolators and claims the "act is more important than prayer".

Moreover, using his religious identity, the Dalai Lama also held the Dharma assembly to help self-immolators release their souls from purgatory and hyped up such extreme suicidal acts on many international occasions.

In March 2013, key members from the clique published a "self-immolation guide" on the Internet, and openly gave detailed instructions in the four aspects of mobilization, preparation, slogans and other actions, which revealed clearly that the Dalai Lama clique is the mastermind behind such extreme acts.

The people of many ethnic groups living in the Tibetan-inhabited regions gained full knowledge of the clique's tricks after the truth was revealed by the government and the agitators behind the "guide" received their due legal punishments, and a growing number of skeptical voices against the Dalai Lama clique have emerged, leaving the clique at bay in the international community.

Perhaps the original question of the reporter in Norway was about whether to attribute the pause of self-immolation in the Tibet autonomous region and Tibetan-populated regions to the assumed urgings of the Dalai Lama. However, the Dalai Lama failed to give any positive response because deep in his heart he knows he has merely trying to achieve his political ends at the cost of the lives of grassroots Tibetans, young and unsophisticated ones in particular. He dared not speak too frankly or make more remarks for fear of spilling the beans and had to complicate the supposedly simple question.

Also, according to reports, the Dalai Lama said that whether self-immolations are religiously wrong "entirely depends on motivation", and "in some cases, such acts of protest were understandable and not entirely wrong," which implies that such acts are justifiable if they are for "Tibet independence".

In this way, why the Dalai Lama has adopted such an ambiguous attitude toward calling a halt to the self-immolation is self-evident.

This commentary is a signed article from the Xinhua News Agency.

(China Daily 05/21/2014 page8)