Dalai Lama wants to visit China quake site

DHARMSALA, India — The Dalai Lama said Saturday that he would like to visit the site of the earthquake that hit a Tibetan area of western China, killing at least 1,144 people. The Tibetan spiritual leader has not set foot in China since fleeing Tibet following a failed 1959 uprising against Beijing's rule in the Himalayan region. The Chinese government accuses him of fomenting separatism in the area, making it very unlikely that he would be allowed to visit. "To fulfill the wishes of many of the people there, I am eager to go there myself to offer them comfort," the Dalai Lama said in a statement to reporters in Dharmsala, the north Indian hill town that is home to the Tibetan government-in-exile. The Dalai Lama was born in Qinghai, the province where Wednesday's quake struck, and Yushu county, the area hit hardest, is overwhelmingly Tibetan. "Because of the physical distance between us, at present I am unable to comfort those directly affected, but I would like them to know I am praying for them," he added in the statement. It was not clear if the Tibetan leader would ask actually for permission to travel to the region, and he told reporters that he had not made a formal request for a visa with the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. "When Sichuan was rocked by an earthquake two years ago, I wished to visit the affected areas to pray and comfort the people there, but I was unable to do so," he added. In May 2008, a massive 7.9-magnitude temblor struck Sichuan province leaving 90,000 dead or missing and another 5 million homeless. The Dalai Lama commended Chinese officials for their quick response to Wednesday's earthquake. "I also applaud the Chinese authorities for visiting the affected areas, especially Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who has not only personally offered comfort to the affected communities but has also overseen the relief work," he said. China claims Tibet has always been part of its territory, but many Tibetans say the Himalayan region was virtually independent for centuries until Chinese troops invaded in the 1950s.—AP