4月19日号 1面
Speaking Out
ダライ・ラマ14世が日本で「私が悪魔に見えますか？」とポーズ
Visiting Japan on a stopover, the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, said he supported China's hosting of the Olympic Games, and called for nonviolence in pro‐Tibet protests.
"From the beginning we have supported the Olympic Games," said the Buddhist spiritual leader, who stopped over in Japan before making a trip to Seattle.
The leader's comments followed worldwide protests that emerged along the routes of the Olympic torch relay after China's crackdown on riots in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. The riots were sparked by protests against Chinese rule in Tibet.
In a news conference in Japan, the Dalai Lama said demonstrators had the right to voice their opinions, though he stressed that nonviolence was important.
"The expression of their feelings is up to them," he said. "Nobody has the right to tell them to shut up." He said one cause of problems in Tibet was that there was "no freedom of speech." He added that Tibetans resented a lack of true autonomy.
"This crisis is an expression of their deep resentment," he said, adding it was time for the Chinese government "to accept reality" and find a solution accordingly.
"I really feel sad that on the government level, they almost demonize me. I'm just a human being, not a demon. I have no horns," he said.
The Dalai Lama said "at least a few hundred people" had been killed in Tibetan areas since March 10, and a "few thousand arrested."
The European Parliament has urged European Union governments to consider boycotting the Olympics' opening ceremony if China doesn't resume talks with the Dalai Lama. However, the Dalai Lama has not crossed the Aug. 8 ceremony off his list himself.
"If things improve and the Chinese government starts to see things realistically, I personally want to enjoy the big ceremony," he said.
(Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports)
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【WORDS 単語をチェック】
stopover 立ち寄り（後出 stop over ～ は、～に立ち寄る） exiled 亡命中の spiritual leader 精神的指導者（宗教指導者） hosting 開催 Olympic Games オリンピック call for ～ ～を呼びかける nonviolence 非暴力 pro‐Tibet protest チベット擁護の抗議 worldwide 世界各地の emerge 発生する torch relay 聖火リレー crackdown 弾圧 riot 暴動 spark 引き起こす rule 支配 demonstrator デモ参加者 right 権利 voice 表明する stress 強調する expression 表現 up to ～ ～次第で shut up 黙る cause 原因 freedom of speech 言論の自由 resent 憤る（後出 resentment は、憤り） a lack of ～ ～の欠如 autonomy 自治権 crisis 危機 solution 解決策 accordingly 状況に応じて demonize 悪魔呼ばわりする（後出 demon は悪魔） horn 角 arrest 拘束する European Parliament 欧州議会 urge 強く求める European Union governments 欧州連合の各加盟国 resume 再開する cross ～ off one's list oneself 自身は～を予定から消す
Peter Ennis is Editor of The Oriental Economist Report, responsible for overall coverage, but focusing mostly on Japanese political and security developments. Mr. Ennis has been reporting and writing about Japan and U.S.‐Japan relations for 25 years. He has written for Weekly Toyo Keizai, Bungei Shunju, Chuo Koron, Sapio, Nikkei Weekly, Newsweek Japan and many other newspapers and magazines.
