Dhamsala, India, Mar 18, 2008 / 14:57 pm
The Dalai Lama on Tuesday threatened to step down as leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile if violence committed by Tibetans in his homeland escalates, the Associated Press reports.
Monk-led protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa began peacefully on March 10, the anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The protests have grown increasingly violent, with widespread street violence reported on Friday. Chinese officials say 16 have been killed, but the Tibetan government-in-exile has estimated a death toll of 80.
The rioting has prompted Premier Wen Jiabao to denounce the Dalai Lama’s supporters as separatists, accusing them of instigating violence in Tibet’s capital of Lhasa.
The Dalai Lama told reporters that “if things become out of control,” his “only option is to completely resign.”