Staying On The Story:The Dalai Lama Appeals

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader,the Dalai Lama,has appealed to the Chinese authorities to allow him to visit his earthquake-ravaged homeland,Qinghai Province,in order to aid the distressed populace.China's President,Hu Jintao,made an impromptu visit to the Tibetan Plateau region himself on Sunday,cutting a South American visit short.Mr.Hu encouraged rescuers,who have been dealing with harsh conditions in the remote area some 4,000 meters above sea level-or 13,000 feet-to continue their lifesaving work.We must treasure each life,he said.In a photo opportunity,Mr.Hu embraced an injured Tibetan woman lying in a field hospital.The death toll from Wednesday's quake has risen to 1706,with 256 missing,12,000 injuries and 100,000 left homeless by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
Red-robed Buddhist monks were still digging through the rubble with gloved hands and facemasks,while other monks lit funeral pyres for the dead.Some of their own died in the quake,as well as children.The disaster area has only one main road,but food,water and shelter are now available.Many of the victims,who are mainly ethnic Tibetans,had to spend several nights in the open in the subfreezing weather.One monk remarked bitterly that the official rescue parties were lackadaisical about the task,revealing a simmering resentment toward the Chinese Communist authorities that has boiled over from time to time since they took power in 1959.For Beijing,the earthquake is a security challenge as well as a humanitarian crisis.
It is almost certain that the Dalai Lama's request to visit Qinghai Province will be rejected.Beijing regards him as a separatist,and all attempts at negotiation have failed to this point.The Dalai Lama,a periodic guest at the White House to Beijing's consternation,insists he only wants autonomy for Tibet.He has resided in India since 1959.

Earthquake Shatters Tibetan Plateau

Residents of Jiegu Town,the remote home of about 70,000 on the Tibetan Plateau of Northwest China,were subjected to a series of violent earthquakes and aftershocks Wednesday morning.At least 760 were killed and 10,000 injured.More than 300 are still missing.Chinese troops and paramilitary forces arrived to lend assistance to the devoutly Buddhist area,where the ethnic Tibetan monks also lended a hand in the rescue effort.Some 900 souls were pulled from the rubble of the mud brick buildings characteristic of the high desert region near the Himalayan peaks.
The isolated area,which is known as Qinghai Province,has limited roads,and several bridges were wrecked by the earthquake.Rescuers also faced altitude sickness,landslides,sandstorms,and subfreezing temperatures.A shortage of tents became obvious to the dislocated residents on Wednesday night,when they were exposed to the severe elements.Monasteries were hard-hit,and the Jiegu Monastery hotel was flattened.
Qinghai province is the homeland of the Tibetan spiritual leader,the Dalai Lama,who is revered by the largely ethnic Tibetan populace.His Holiness issued a statement saying he was exploring ways to convey aid to the area and offering prayers for the earthquake victims and their families.The Dalai Lama fled Tibet for India in 1959 when the Communists came to power.
The Chinese leaders said stability must be maintained in the aftermath of this natural disaster in Qinghai Province,which is located some 1200 miles from Beijing.