EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE CARRYING OF THE OLYMPIC TORCH TO CHINA WAS DISRUPTED BY SUPPORTERS OF THE âFREE TIBET CAMPAIGNâ AND THERE WERE REPORTS OF VIOLENCE IN NEPAL AND TIBET.
SINCE HE LEFT THE HIMALAYAN COUNTRY IN 1959 AFTER A REBELLION BY FEUDAL LORDS AND LAMAS WAS DEFEATED BY THE CHINESE PEOPLEâS ARMY, THE DALAI LAMA HAS BEEN GENERALLY KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD AS A MAN OF PEACE WHO PREACHES TOLERANCE AND HARMONY AMONG PEOPLES AND THE LEADER OF THE TIBETAN EXILES.
WHILE TIBETAN BUDDHISM HAS SPREAD TO MANY OTHER COUNTRIES, THERE IS GROWING NUMBERS AMONG ITS MEMBERS WHO ARE SAYING THAT THE DALAI LAMAâS REPUTATION IS UNDESERVED.
THIS PAST THURSDAY, AROUND THREE HUNDRED BUDDHISTS INCLUDING MONKS AND NUNS, CAME TO DENOUNCE THE DALAI LAMA, WHO WAS SPEAKING AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL IN MANHATTAN. WBAI FRED NGUYEN WAS THERE AND SPOKE WITH THE PROTESTERS: