Japan: Dalai Lama raps torch protests

According to a brief article in the Asahi Newspaper, the Dalai Lama "decried protests in Europe and the United States," that have attempted to interfere with the Olympic torch relay, which ends in Beijing. Then the article describes in more detail that the Dalai Lama does not support the violent protests that occurred in London and Paris; protests, which arose over the rioting in the Dalia Lama's native Tibet. Rather, the Dalai Lama has repeated his support for China to host the summer Olympic Games because it is a good opportunity for change as China wants to make a good impression on the visiting countries.

It is interesting that there is no mention of the Dalai Lama's opinion over the Tibetan Riots. The article that is for once not attributed to a wire service, but written by one of the newspapers own reporters, which may account for its brevity. Not to mention that it is the opposite of what one would expect from a Japanese newspaper. The Japanese have not had a good relations with the Chinese, mostly over the issues surrounding the occupation of China in the period leading up to and through the Second World War. As a result, the Japanese media usually frames China in a negative light. However, this article reports on the Dalai Lama's anti-protest stance and his support for China. Perhaps the reporter wanted to point out the contrast since the protests arose for the sake of the issues of the Dalai Lama's home country and China's reactions to them.