Dalai Lama willing to meet Chinese leaders

Dharamshala, Mar 20 (UNI) Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, today said he is willing to meet Chinese leaders but will wait for signs that the situation in Tibet is improving.

''I am willing to meet Chinese leaders, particularly president Hu Jintao, who in 1989 oversaw a bloody crackdown in Lhasa as the regional Communist party secretary,'' he said while addressing a press conference here.

However, the Dalai Lama said it was unlikely that he would make an immediate trip to Beijing following a violent crackdown by the police in Lhasa.

''Going to Beijing would be big news. Then many Tibetans would develop unrealistic expectations. I have to think about that very carefully,'' he added.

He said he would wait until the present crises blew over and concreate changes were visible in Tibet.

''In the next few weeks and months I will see if there are positive changes,'' he said.

Responding to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's statement that his Chinese counterpart was willing to meet the Dalai Lama if the exiled leader agreed not to support Tibet's total independence and renounced violence, he said these two conditions had been met years ago.

The Tibet's spiritual leader expressed concern that protests had spread outside Tibet and said that the plight of the villagers in remote areas would be the worst.

''I am worried for large number of casualties may happen. There are no medical facilities. These are helpless unarmed innocent people who simply love Tibetan culture, against armed police personnel,'' he added.

UNI XC AS VKJ MMS1914