Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 29-minute press conference at the National Press Club in Canberra, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addresses Australian journalists on Tibet, China-Australia relations, India-Pakistan conflict, and his philosophical outlook. He discusses the stalled negotiations with Beijing, emphasizing that development in Tibet must include environmental impact studies and genuine benefit to Tibetan communities, not just economic schemes that displace locals. He responds to questions on Australia’s diplomatic hesitation around his visit, advocating that strong principles and dignity matter in friendship with powerful nations. Moving to broader topics, he reflects on India’s heritage of nonviolence and religious tolerance amid communal violence, and closes with personal reflections on world leaders he has admired, including Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Chairman Mao, and Václav Havel. Pitched at a general educated audience with interest in geopolitics and the Dalai Lama’s perspective on ethics and global affairs.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2024-05-02 – 1B – National Press Club Canb – KR.mp3
UUID: 7302ecf9-7564-4a5a-b33c-d013bbf3040f
Teacher: HH Dalai Lama
Collection: Dalai Lama Talks
Date: 2024-05-02
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~2,777
So therefore, the we are ready to talk and Deng Xiaoping himself — at the meeting of my personal emissary, Deng Xiaoping has made very clear. Beside question of independence, anything can be discussed. So hold my approach according within that framework. But then the Chinese government leadership there, they sometimes showing more positive, sometimes more negative. So after Tiananmen event and also after you see the collapse of Soviet Union, this seems the Chinese government, I think, very much sort of hardened with their thinking.
So last few years, this is sometimes through unofficial channel. Some positive sort of indication there, but sometimes that also you see they not working. So like that. I think what is the main reason why you say they are reluctant is to talk, ask them. Don’t ask me, wrong person.
Next question? Next question is from Sophie Sophie Morris from The Australian. How do you feel that the Chief Communist Party official in Tibet who is involved in the patriotic re education program is planning to visit Australia and may be welcomed by government members of the executive in Australia when you have not met any ministers on your meeting, on your visit? As I mentioned earlier, you see the talk, meet as as much as you can. That’s important.
Then I think one is a day, I think leader from autonomous region of Tibet is to come. Then ask, please send us invitation. You want to go to Tibet and see by yourself. So ask him more invitation. I think that’s best.
Lhakpa Norbu. Just on the same question, Your Holiness, the party boss of Tibet is coming to Australia to get technical expertise about how to deal with environmental damage in Tibet, deforestation and mining. You think Australian government what do you think of the Australian government actually helping China to develop Tibet’s economy given that there’s been so much damage there already? Do you think that that’s a cynical step on the part of the government or do you think it’s something which is necessary for Australia to get on with China? Basically, said Tibet need more development.
An economy development, we need, you see, more development. We need more help. But then, as I mentioned earlier, the helping — some scheme, some scheme of, development scheme and, let’s say, must not harm the environment. When introducing these projects of development inside Tibet, I think it is extremely important first to do a detailed preliminary study of the environmental impact of these programs. Then second, what real, how much benefit to local Tibetan?
That’s important. Sometimes you see there’s some quite sort of smart sort of project there but actual benefit for local Tibetan are sometimes very limited. And sometimes that is actually is a help to bring more Han Chinese, more Chinese. Then I think regarding environment, as I mentioned earlier, I feel I hope some specialist, now for example, from Australia. This I also, I mentioned, you see some European sort of I mean, government as well as some, you see, they our friends, they some expert go to Tibet and study on the spot.
How much has damage already happened? Then what is the way to recover it? To Restore. Restore. Restore.
So I think one is the I mean, the party secretary of Autonomous Region Of Tibet come and ask. And then I think I think they should accept this as some sort of expert. Then I think with Chinese expert, go together and see and spend more leisure time, then then I think the people knows the real situation, then accordingly, some suggestions, some advice give them. The question from Chad Page. My name is Chad Page from the Northern Star.
And I was wondering, how do you feel about the Prime Minister being in Beijing when you were in Canberra? Nothing. Reason is my visit nature of my visit here, not political. There’s no sort of special agenda or talk with politicians here, including prime minister. So then if he I’m available, he want to meet me, I’m happy.
If he other engagement, absolutely alright, no problem. Next question. Craig Skehan from the Sydney Morning Herald. How much of a factor in the prime minister and other senior ministers not meeting you? Is it do you think economic relations between Australia and China specifically prospects for a major natural gas supply contract?
And if it was to be a consideration, would that be justified on national interest grounds to consider the economic implications? As I mentioned earlier, everywhere, especially in America, I always you see, they’re telling my American friend, make good friend in the economy field, a close link, a close contact with Chinese government, Chinese I mean, with China, and at the same time, some of the principal matter should differ. So the same, I will repeat here. Make good friend, especially people who come from China. Very important.
And geographically, you Australia, somehow, bordering Asia, or half Asia, something like that. So so in any way, so you you need to special relation with China. No no question. But at the same time, in order to make closer relation, you don’t want too much appeasement. Much appeasement.
That’s silly. That’s foolish. Look, you see the I think some of the recent event including Taiwan. When they stand quite firm, then then Chinese attitude sometimes becoming more smoother. It happened.
I think I think you see, you show your friend, you see there? Your dignity, your principle, and that’s important. Mark Forbes from The Age. This weekend I believe you are scheduled to meet with Australian officials who are involved in the human rights dialogue with China. What will you say to them if asked about the human rights situation in Tibet?
Secret. Of course of course, you see, this is actually it’s not I’m asked them to meet with certain sort of, let’s say, proposal or some some agenda, some some urgent. Nothing. So, of course, I’m glad, I am glad to hear? Is it they’re willing to meet me?
Then, of course, they will ask some, I think, questions, some inquire about the situation of Tibet. Then according to their questions, I will answer. The next question is from Richard Davis. Richard Davis from ABC News. As a world spiritual leader, what are your views on euthanasia?
As I mentioned briefly, the abortion. On matters like the use of euthanasia, just as I made my comment on the issue of abortion. These are very complex issues on which it’s very difficult to make generalized statements because individuality of each context would be so different that case it has, it’s something that needs to be judged, the merit of its decision based upon context by context. Malcolm Your Holiness Malcolm Cole Cole, from the yes. Courier Mail newspaper.
Australia has played a leading role in helping liberate East Timor, and the prime minister has has been in East Timor celebrating its independence. Are you perhaps disappointed that Australia hasn’t played such an active role in relation to Tibet so far? No. Because, you know, I think the East Timor case, a different case, there are similarities as well as differences also there. So in any way, the Australia is a help a lot in order to achieve the East Timor sort of basic right.
Yes. Very good. Very good. So then is it the Tibet case, firstly, as I mentioned earlier, I’m not seeking independence. But, you see, the Tibet case is something very, very complicated.
And I think another I think the major major sort of of different factor, the Portuguese, a small nation and then Indonesia, also comparatively smaller than China. That’s one major factor, The next question is from Christine Jackman. Your Holiness, Christine Jackman from News Limited. It appears this week that your adopted home of India and Pakistan are on the brink of perhaps all out war. Do you see any possibility of a peaceful resolution to their differences and why hasn’t that been achieved to this this date?
Now India is almost my home in the last forty three years. Basically, you see, India traditionally, the religious tolerance is very strong. I think deeply rooted in the minds of the public people. Now the relation between sort of anyways a new state, India and Pakistan. I think the partition, Pakistan and India, that’s, I think, most unfortunate.
Mahatma Gandhi totally against that. He even you see, in order to. Prevent. In order to prevent the two states, you see, he even is willing offer prime minister prime ministership. Prime ministership to then is the leader of the Pakistan Jinah.
Thus, I think they so so in any way, I think the partition, lot of people kill, lot of people suffer, so some problems remain. My usual opinion, the in order to change now that, the one sort of dynamic way, dynamic leader, full sort of supported by the public or all parties that need that’s sometimes difficult in India. So now what will be what what what will be going on? I don’t know. Of course, the one thing I I can say, the through violence, through war, you can’t solve war.
And moreover, you see now both have nuclear weapon. So so the if it was a one party defeat and feel desperate, then they might use nuclear weapons, and this is unthinkable. So I don’t know. So I think like United States or Britain, I think, this help, we said, to bring some understanding. I think since India, another most populated nation, and Pakistan as a neighbor, I think peace, closer relations, more trust, like you said, between India and China.
I always say stress the importance of good relations, India and China. Similarly, India and with with Pakistan. I think that’s the because of the everybody’s interest. So like Australia, I think we we should have to bring some kind of closer relations, close understanding. Kubata.
Ray Kubata from the Indian Post, Your Holiness. As you know, the Indian state of Gujarat has been devastated by the communal riots, what would be your advice to the victims of the senseless violence, some of whom are reported to be indulging in revenge attacks? Now recently, is it due to some my comment, this is some some a misunderstanding, you see, among some newspaper as well as some community. So I think better to keep quiet. Michael Medigan.
Your I I always see actually, I see where I I mean, I always see sharing my sort of fundamental belief. The India, as I mentioned earlier, is it we have very, what’s it, very deep sort of, what’s it, habit, nonviolence. And especially among the religious sort of practitioner, religious tolerance. Now that is one of the one one of the greatest India sort of what’s the what’s the Quality. Quality or richness.
So so I’m jokingly telling my Indian friends, in the past, outside the world, not much interest about not much knowing or not much interest about the nonviolence. Now today, more and more people now showing interest about nonviolence, which is promoted by Gandhi in modern time. So while the outside world now is showing more interest, India, now in the past, so much sort of nonviolent sort of, I mean, nonviolent, I mean, concept of principle exported. So now, too much exported and inside, sometimes less. So this is wrong.
Now, I used to jokingly tell my Indian friends, while you are exporting nonviolence, you must produce more within the country. So so this I always was telling my Indian friends and the intellectuals and the religious leaders and the masses with the awareness of nonviolence, value of nonviolence, then some mischievous people, small small here and there, then localized. Maybe easier would be easier to handle. So the public and the general public, I think they think the realization importance and also how how how valuable the ahimsa idea. So this is, I think, from time to time, we must have reminders.
And I often used to tell my Indian religious friends, with this sort of belief, I participated now recently. I participated Kumbh Mela. You know? I’m Buddhist. I’m not Hindu.
But out of respect and appreciation of their tradition, I went there, inspired some criticism from some Buddhist friends. And similarly, in India, wherever I have the opportunity, I always kind of take pilgrimage to mosque and Jain temple and, how should they, Sikh temple and church and Hindu temple and certainly Buddhist temple. So in order to show the how rich India’s sort of century old tolerance of religion. And with that, the secular secularism, I think wonderful. So instead of you to criticize one one particular here and there, I think basically we must make attempt to build traditional sort of century old these deeper values.
This is my feeling. I’m doing, actually, I’m doing. Now, next question? The last question, in fact, Michael Your Holiness, Michael Madigan Madigan. From News Limited newspapers.
As a spiritual leader, you are a figure of inspiration to millions of people. Given that over the past half century, you appear to have met everyone from Chairman Mao to Nelson Mandela, is there any one figure that has stood out as an inspiration to yourself? The first Indian president, Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Oh, I I consider him oh, something very, very great, very great, very humble. I mean, a great sort of a scholar on law lawyer.
He himself is a lawyer, a great great leader. I always have tremendous sort of admiration. Then Pandit Nehru, his own personality — not so, because of that, spiritual minded. Okay. Very practical person.
More westerner, I think. More western educated. Then Rajagopalachari, Kamarajar. Radhakrishnan, great scholar, but more scholar than real practitioner. Then Chairman Mao, I think a real I think the revolutionary.
I think full of enthusiasm, full of determination. That side, I think really remarkable. But, eventually, I think his own power spoil himself. That’s sad. When I was there in 1954, 1955, several time meeting with Chairman Mao, oh, his sort of way of talking, way of handling, way of way of interacting.
Marvellous. Although sometimes quite awkward. Physically. I mean, his his his neck, not not cannot do that. The whole body have to go like that.
Now very slowly, like on the Australian situation, it is. One one one, your animal is to move very slowly in in Australia. What what do you call that? Wombat. Wombat.
But Mao also said mind, brilliant. Brilliant. His word, each word have some weight. So oh, great. But then eventually, of course, when I was in China, I really should develop some kind of admiration about him, respect.
But then eventually, nineteen fifty fifty seven, I think first my experience, while I was in China, Chairman Mao promised me that those Chinese journals and also the political sort of leaders send to Tibet in order to help you. So if some of them, you see, made mistakes, create some problems for you or not listen your view, then let me know. I will withdraw. He promised me. Then I then I returned from China 1955.
Then eventually, some problems started. Then, actually, I wrote — I think three letters to Chairman Mao directly, but then no reply. No change. Correct. Policy.
And things become worse and worse, then begin to feel little, what is it? questioning, questioning. Yes. Questioning.
Then Peng Dehuai was dismissed, 1959 While I wasn’t speaking, I consider I think very straightforward, not speak some too much brightness, but very straightforward so I have some respect. But that person eventually is dismissed because he criticized the Great Leap Forward, isn’t it? So therefore, then eventually, the Cultural Revolution — these things happen. So I don’t know. So Chairman Mao — why — because original impression and sometimes a little spoiled.
And then I think European leader among the leaders, Havel. Really blunt. I have one deep respect. And then two days ago, I think they still alive leaders among leaders, Havel. President Havel, I have great admiration.
Finished. Thank you. Your Holiness, thank you very much for this past hour. You’re beautiful to know that President Havel actually has also spoken from this forum. He’s very popular.
We’d like you to accept this memento of the occasion today. It’s worried the security people because it ticks and it’s metallic, but it does nothing more threatening than measured time. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
You.