Dalai Lama for resolution of Tibet issue through dialogue

Dharamshala, Apr 26 (UNI) The Tibetan Government-in-exile today expressed its willingness to peacefully resolve the Tibetan issue and said it was willing to talk to the Chinese authorities.

''The Dalai Lama has always wanted to resolve the issue of Tibet through face-to-face discussions with the Chinese authorities,'' government-in-exile's prime minister Samdhong Rinpoche said in a release here.

However, referring to the recent report by Xinhua that the Chinese Government was willing to meet the Dalai Lama, he said ''for any meeting to be productive it was important for the Chinese leadership to understand the reality and acknowledge his positive role''.

He said throughout the present crisis in Tibet, their government has maintained contact with the Chinese authorities, not only to share its deepest concerns at their repressive measures to deal with the development in different parts of Tibet, but also to provide suggestions to resolve the crisis.

''His Holiness even sent a personal communication to Chinese President Hu Jintao as early as March 19, wherein he had even offered to send representatives to help calm the situation,'' Mr Rinpoche said stressing that the Dalai Lama for a long time, especially since March 10 this year, wanted to reach out to the Chinese people and the leadership.

Even now the immediate greatest concern for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership was the fate of the Tibetans, he said.

''The Dalai Lama's envoys are in regular touch with their counterparts, including exploring the possibilities of early meetings, to address this issue. We feel it will require normalcy in the situation in the Tibetan areas for the formal resumption of the talks and we are committed to take all steps, including informal meetings, to continue in bringing about this,'' the Prime Minister added.

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