Dalai Lama expects talks to resume next month

Dharamshala, May 13 (UNI) The Dalai Lama has said formal talks between his envoys and the Chinese counterparts were expected to resume next months.

''Now the time has come for the Chinese government to conduct a thorough realistic review,'' he said here, in an interview to the New York Times.

He said even after pouring in billions, the Chinese authorities have failed to bring satisfaction to the life of the Tibetans and ''they have to find out what was wrong''.

''Any resumption of dialogue is positive under the current circumstances,'' he said and added that he was pained that official Chinese news media had persuaded innocent Chinese that he was anti-Chinese.

The talks, for which exact dates have not yet been fixed, would represent the seventh round of talks between the two sides since 2002.

Replying to a question whether he expected China to negotiate in good faith, or was engaged in talks with the Tibetan Government in an effort to deflate mounting international criticism before the Beijing Olympics, he said ''it was too early to say that''.

Continuing dialogue opened up at least a possibility of a breakthrough over the Tibet issue, he said adding ''besides, they no longer say there is no Tibet issue. They are also showing some seriousness about the problems inside Tibet.'' The spiritual leader of the Tibetan Government-in-exile said any resumption of dialogue was positive under the current circumstances.

Acceding that the Chinese Government had neither eased the repression of protests that began inside Tibet two months ago nor stopped maligning him as the instigator, he said however, they were encouraged by the tone of the consultations earlier this month.

''My feeling is, in this tense situation, critical situation, such a meeting took place is good,'' he emphasised.

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