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06-30-2008, 11:57 AM
Dalai Lama envoys in China for formal talks
By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writer
BEIJING - Representatives of the Dalai Lama said Monday they will sit down for talks with Chinese officials, as international pressure built for the sides to ease tensions after anti-government riots in Tibet.
The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Tibetan government in exile confirmed that envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who arrived in Beijing on Monday evening, would hold the two days of talks starting Tuesday.
"This will be the continuation of the formal dialogue, which started in 2002," said Samdhong Rinpoche.
The meetings follow informal talks held in early May in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen that ended with an offer from Beijing for future discussions.
"His holiness the Dalai Lama has instructed the envoys to make every effort to bring about tangible progress to alleviate the difficult situation for Tibetans in their homeland," a statement from the Dalai Lama's office said.
China said an invitation has been extended to the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, but gave no other details.
"Our door is always open for dialogue with the Dalai Lama. (We) hope that the Dalai Lama would treasure this opportunity and give a positive response to the requirements of the central authorities," an unidentified government official was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Pressure has been growing on both sides to improve relations in the wake of the riots and protests that hit the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and other areas of China in March.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who ended two days of talks in China on Monday, said she was encouraged by the talks and urged China to sincerely engage the Dalai Lama.
"We think he's a very positive figure in dealing with the very difficult issue of Tibet," Rice said.
The news department of the State Council, China's Cabinet, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. A man surnamed Gao in the propaganda office of the United Front Work Department, which will host the talks, said he did not have any details.
China has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in quelling anti-government riots and protests in Tibet. Beijing says 22 people died in the violence in Lhasa, while foreign Tibet supporters say many times that number were killed in the protests and a subsequent crackdown.
Some experts believe Beijing is agreeing to a fresh round of discussions to ease international pressure and criticism ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.
"There is some concern for China to maintain a good profile internationally before the Olympics so that must be part of the issue," said Robbie Barnett, an expert on modern Tibet at Columbia University.
"It's also very clear inside Tibet that many Tibetans put a great weight on news of these talks and there's some evidence that people inside Tibet will be generally reluctant to stage protests when there is still hope in this process," he said.
China has ruled Tibet since communist troops marched into the Himalayan region in the 1950s. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid a failed uprising in 1959, has said he wants some form of autonomy for Tibet. Beijing has labeled him a "splittist" intent on seizing independence.
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Associated Press writer Ashwini Bhatia in Dharmsala, India, contributed to this report.
By AUDRA ANG, Associated Press Writer
BEIJING - Representatives of the Dalai Lama said Monday they will sit down for talks with Chinese officials, as international pressure built for the sides to ease tensions after anti-government riots in Tibet.
The prime minister of the self-proclaimed Tibetan government in exile confirmed that envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who arrived in Beijing on Monday evening, would hold the two days of talks starting Tuesday.
"This will be the continuation of the formal dialogue, which started in 2002," said Samdhong Rinpoche.
The meetings follow informal talks held in early May in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen that ended with an offer from Beijing for future discussions.
"His holiness the Dalai Lama has instructed the envoys to make every effort to bring about tangible progress to alleviate the difficult situation for Tibetans in their homeland," a statement from the Dalai Lama's office said.
China said an invitation has been extended to the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, but gave no other details.
"Our door is always open for dialogue with the Dalai Lama. (We) hope that the Dalai Lama would treasure this opportunity and give a positive response to the requirements of the central authorities," an unidentified government official was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua News Agency.
Pressure has been growing on both sides to improve relations in the wake of the riots and protests that hit the Tibetan capital of Lhasa and other areas of China in March.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who ended two days of talks in China on Monday, said she was encouraged by the talks and urged China to sincerely engage the Dalai Lama.
"We think he's a very positive figure in dealing with the very difficult issue of Tibet," Rice said.
The news department of the State Council, China's Cabinet, did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. A man surnamed Gao in the propaganda office of the United Front Work Department, which will host the talks, said he did not have any details.
China has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in quelling anti-government riots and protests in Tibet. Beijing says 22 people died in the violence in Lhasa, while foreign Tibet supporters say many times that number were killed in the protests and a subsequent crackdown.
Some experts believe Beijing is agreeing to a fresh round of discussions to ease international pressure and criticism ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.
"There is some concern for China to maintain a good profile internationally before the Olympics so that must be part of the issue," said Robbie Barnett, an expert on modern Tibet at Columbia University.
"It's also very clear inside Tibet that many Tibetans put a great weight on news of these talks and there's some evidence that people inside Tibet will be generally reluctant to stage protests when there is still hope in this process," he said.
China has ruled Tibet since communist troops marched into the Himalayan region in the 1950s. The Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid a failed uprising in 1959, has said he wants some form of autonomy for Tibet. Beijing has labeled him a "splittist" intent on seizing independence.
___
Associated Press writer Ashwini Bhatia in Dharmsala, India, contributed to this report.