时事风云 | 2009.09.04
达赖喇嘛结束祈福之旅离台
在层层警力戒护及许多藏胞、信徒的欢送下，西藏精神领袖达赖喇嘛4日结束这趟祈福之旅，搭机返回印度。达赖喇嘛没有多谈这趟台湾之行，只在答复媒体询问时表示，他随时准备返回西藏，也强调每一个西藏人都有这个想法。
达赖喇嘛是应民进党籍高雄市长陈菊等南部7县市长之邀，访问台湾为受创严重的南台湾88水灾灾民消灾祈福。由于他身分特殊，此行引发不小的政治联想 与争议，但达赖喇嘛除在抵台前就强调，此行的目的，就是为灾民祈福。为了避免带来台湾的困扰，达赖喇嘛取消了预定的记者会及北部的演讲，将访台行程限缩在 南部的祈福法会、演讲，以及与天主教枢机主教单国玺的对谈，低调的会见民进党主席蔡英文，并在台北接见藏胞和信徒。
根据台湾在野党的民调，台湾多数人民支持达赖喇嘛台湾之行。然而，民进党此时邀请达赖喇嘛访台，也被质疑是政治操作，而且因救灾不力而声望下挫的马 英九总统虽核准达赖喇嘛访台，却与之保持距离。自达赖喇嘛抵台，抗议他访台的声音也如影随形。对此，达赖喇嘛不以为意，还称赞这是台湾民主的可贵，他也表 示能体谅马英九总统。但达赖喇嘛身边的人及民进党方面却为他抱不平，认为这是马英九政府屈服於中国的压力。民进党民调中心主任陈俊麟说："在这样的一个民 意状况之下，马政府真的应该好好想一想，不要用政治思考来对待这样一个宗教性、人道关怀的活动。用所谓的批评和恐吓。中国对于这样一个事情也必须好好思 考。"
马英九政府否认对达赖喇嘛访台行程有任何施压，不过行政院长刘兆玄也表示，达赖喇嘛访台不能说对两岸关系完全没有影响，但他希望这个影响能够比较短 暂。刘兆玄说："把这件事情定位在一个人道关怀、属于宗教层次的关怀、心灵抚慰，这样一个层次的话，问题就不大。我也希望，各方都不要太政治化这件事 情。"
相较于北京过去对达赖喇嘛访问其他国家时的威胁与抗议，中国此次的行为堪称温和。虽然有批评，但针对的是达赖喇嘛和促成此事的民进党，不过大陆观光客前往台湾观光，两岸人员互访，金融MOU[谅解备忘录]及ECFA[两岸经济合作架构协议]的签署，难免受到影响。
作者：尼尔 （台北特约记者 ）
责编：石涛
China anger over Dalai Lama trip
 China is quick to criticise nations that show support for the Dalai Lama |
China has criticised an invitation from Taiwan to the Dalai Lama, calling him a separatist who wants to sabotage improving cross-strait relations.
Taiwan's president granted opposition requests for Tibet's spiritual leader to comfort victims of Typhoon Morakot.
But a statement from Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Bureau said the Dalai Lama was not a "pure religious figure".
"Under the pretext of religion, he has all along been engaged in separatist activities," the statement said.
"He raises the religious banner and continues to carry out attempting to split the country."
The authorities in Beijing said Taiwan's pro-independence opposition had ulterior motives in asking the more pro-Beijing President Ma Ying-jeou to approve the Dalai Lama's visit.
"Some of the people in the Democratic Progressive Party use the disaster rescue excuse to invite Dalai to Taiwan to sabotage the hard-earned positive situation of cross-straits relations," the statement said.
Comforting victims
Under Taiwan's previous pro-independence administration, the Dalai Lama visited the island several times - most recently in 2001.
 | ANALYSIS  Michael Bristow BBC News, Beijing It is not a surprise that China has expressed its "resolute opposition" - it objects to most of the Dalai Lama's overseas visits. Beijing believes his aim is to garner support for Tibetan independence. What is perhaps surprising is that Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou has approved the visit. He has worked hard to improve Taiwan's relationship with China since he took office last year. This trip risks undermining those efforts. But Mr Ma has faced criticism at home recently for what many see as a slow response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Morakot. Many Taiwanese people also say he is just too close to Beijing. Mr Ma probably gambled that, at this moment, it was better to risk annoying China than his own voters. |
But President Ma, who came to power in 2008, is much closer to China than his predecessor Chen Shui-bian.
Last year he refused to grant permission for a visit by the Dalai Lama, saying the timing was not right as his government was working to improve relations with Beijing.
But the typhoon and its aftermath have left Mr Ma in a difficult position.
The Chinese government considers Mr Ma's administration far easier to deal with than the island's previous pro-independence leadership.
However, an estimated 500 people were killed by severe flooding and mudslides caused by the typhoon - the worst Taiwan has suffered for 50 years - and Mr Ma's administration has been criticised for its slow and inefficient response.
His popularity has plunged to a record low of 20% over his handling of the disaster.
According to the BBC's Cindy Sui in Taipei, the president needed to give the green light to the Dalai Lama's visit because he could not afford to hurt his and his party's image any further.
 Many relatives of those killed in the south of Taiwan blame the government |
So after a five-hour meeting with security officials, he chose to allow the trip.
Correspondents say that harsh Chinese criticism might play into the hands of Taiwan's opposition by reducing Mr Ma's popularity even further.
The Tibetan spiritual leader is due to arrive on 31 August and to stay for four days, with the focus of his trip being entirely to comfort those affected by the typhoon.
The Dalai Lama has long been eager to visit Taiwan, and is looking forward to the trip, his aide told Reuters news agency.
Taiwan is home to a large exiled Tibetan community, and millions of Taiwanese are Buddhists.
A spokesman for Taiwan's Presidential Office insisted "cross-strait relations will not be negatively affected" by the decision.
達賴喇嘛訪台心願 安撫災民受創心靈 【14:25】
曾任西藏流亡政府駐台北代表的才嘉，今天下午前往台灣，為達賴喇嘛安排下週訪台行程。臨行前接受中央社記者電話訪談強調，達賴喇嘛此行是秉持佛教領袖的責任與義務前往。
才嘉表示，在得知台灣災區縣市首長邀請時，達賴喇嘛當場表示，「到台灣去，如果能幫助災區罹難亡靈超度和安撫災民家屬的受創心靈，他覺得有責任要去」。
才嘉又說，達賴喇嘛也表示，他是基於佛教領袖的責任與義務，受邀前往台灣安撫災民和超度亡靈，因此只要不造成任何困擾，他會前往台灣。
現年75歲的達賴喇嘛，剛結束在印度北部拉達克（Ladakh）地區為期三個星期的訪問與法會活動，並於今天返回印度西北部達蘭薩拉。有「小西藏」之稱的拉達克地區，地勢位於海拔4000公尺的高山上。
繼才嘉之後，達賴喇嘛一行9人，包括3名貼身侍衛，預期30日下午搭乘華航班機直飛台灣，展開為期一週的人道之旅。在台停留期間，他將在台灣南部災區參加法會，撫慰受災民眾心靈。
這也將是達賴喇嘛近12年來第三次訪問台灣。第一次是1997年3月、第二次2001年3月，前兩次訪問都是弘法。達賴喇嘛在台灣有許多藏傳佛教信徒。
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