Behind the Scenes: Amanpour 'transfixed' by Dalai LamaRead the whole article.By Christiane Amanpour
CNN Chief International CorrespondentIn our Behind the Scenes series, CNN correspondents share their experiences in covering news and analyze the stories behind the events. CNN's Christiane Amanpour meets the Dalai Lama and some of his unruly flock in "Buddha's Warriors" airing Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 11 p.m. ET
The Dalai Lama cracked jokes and chatted when a storm knocked out power during his interview with CNN.
DHARAMSALA, India (CNN) -- I never knew much about Buddhism, and was not expecting much, spiritually, from covering the Dalai Lama. But what happened just goes to show how the unlikeliest events can affect you at the unlikeliest times.
I flew from covering the historic visit of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in North Korea to Dharamsala, India. This is the home-in-exile of the Dalai Lama and his government, as well as thousands of Tibetan monks and supporters.
Our visit coincided with the events that commemorate each March 10, the date the Dalai Lama fled Tibet on horseback in 1959. He managed to evade the Chinese Communist forces, disguised as a soldier and escaping at night. The somber remembrance is a little like what the Palestinians do every year. They call it al-Nakba, or "catastrophe," which marks 1948 when they lost much of their land as the state of Israel was founded.
This year, however, the March 10 anniversary took on a more ominous tone. It was the first time the growing split among Tibetan exiles burst into the open. Some of the younger generation of exiles are losing faith in the Dalai Lama's abandonment of the dream of Tibetan independence. Some want action, even if it might mean abandoning their peaceful Buddhist way.
I wanted to ask the Dalai Lama about this and where he thought it would lead.
Additional links:
Watch: Amanpour investigates new breed of Buddhists »
See behind-the-scenes photos from Buddha's Warriors »
Learn about Tibet's history of conflict »Buddha's Warriors: The split
Buddha's Warriors: The March
Hidden Burma
3 comments:
>> Dalai Lama says what the Chinese are doing in Tibet amounts to "cultural genocide"
And his followers who killed so many Han Chinese and Muslims in the 2008 Tibet riots perpetrated acts much closer to REAL genocide.
Why has he never spoken out against these killings, and why did his spokesman explain that the killings did not violate the principle of nonviolence?
And while he threatened to step down as the "Head of the Tibetian Government (in exile)", actually doing so would bolster his claims of having no interest in Independance and personal political aspirations.
Signed: An American Buddhist
Rusty Freedom:
The Dalai Lama HAS spoken out about the riots in Tibet, but he is not accountable for how other Tibetans behave. Many of us in the Tibetan community believe that the rioters were wrong to take their aggression and anger out on the Han Chinese. But, how would you feel if you were a minority in your own land? How would you feel when you aren't even allowed to have a picture of your own flag or spiritual leader? How would you feel if you didn't have the right to express how you feel, knowing that you would get imprisoned, beaten, raped, killed, etc. for doing so? How would you feel if you felt your life was in danger for being a certain ethnicity in your own land? Ask yourself those questions before you attack the Dalai Lama.
To anonymous:
Have you actually bothered to read the history of Tibet and actually gone there to witness for yourself the 'rapings' and 'beatings' you are talking about? If you did you'd know Tibetan kings always paid homage to the chinese emperor and that pre the Communist's arrival the Tibetan theocracy (yes your very lovable Tibetan monks) were treating their own people like slaves. Before making any gratuitous statements please do more research and stop spewing the same tired old western media propaganda.
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