The Hindu : Front Page : China to meet Dalai Lama’s envoy soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Apr 26, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

China to meet Dalai Lama’s envoy soon

Pallavi Aiyar

Beijing: The Chinese government will meet an envoy of the Dalai Lama within the next few days, according to Xinhua, China’s state-owned news agency. Quoting “official sources,” the report said this decision was taken “in view of the requests repeatedly made by the Dalai side for resuming talks.”

Beijing has accused the exiled spiritual leader of masterminding the riots that broke out last month in Lhasa and other ethnically Tibetan parts of China. The Dalai Lama has refuted this.

Leaders of several countries have been urging talks between the two sides as the only solution for addressing the Tibet “issue.” While the Chinese accuse the Dalai Lama of separatist activities, the spiritual leader himself has said he is not in favour of Tibetan independence and instead seeks greater autonomy for Tibet within China.

Although in the aftermath of last month’s unrest in Tibet Chinese leaders said the door to negotiations with the Dalai was not closed, Beijing had repeatedly stated that the alleged gap between the Dalai Lama’s rhetoric and his actions stood in the way of the resumption of dialogue.

“It is hoped that through contact and consultation, the Dalai side will take credible moves to stop activities aimed at splitting China, stop plotting and inciting violence and stop disrupting and sabotaging the Beijing Olympic Games so as to create conditions for talks,” the report quoted an official as saying.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section