Tibetan Government-in-Exile to strive for progress during talks with China

Dharamshala, July 1 : The Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has instructed the envoys to "make every effort to bring about tangible progress to alleviate the difficult situation for Tibetans" during talks with the Chinese representatives, says the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala.

Tibet's government-in-exile said the two-day talks would open in Beijing on Tuesday, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the cabinet spokesman's office declined to confirm or deny the dates.

Speaking to an international news agency in Dharamsala, the seat of the government-in-exile, Thubten Samphel, spokesperson of the Tibetan Government-in-exile said that the envoys have been instructed to make every possible effort to resolve the issue of Tibet.

"The instructions have been given to the envoys to leave no stone unturned to resolve the issue of Tibet through discussion and dialogue with the Chinese leadership since our struggle is non-violent and this is the only viable alternative," said Samphel.

He further added that the Tibetans hope that the Chinese government would abide by the promise made by the Chinese President during his recent visit to Japan.

It would be their second closed-door meeting since rioting erupted in Tibet in March and heaped international pressure on China to deal with the Nobel laureate, who fled into exile in India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule.

The current round of talks, the sixth since 2002 and delayed by three weeks in the wake of China's deadliest earthquake in three decades, was preceded by a glut of goodwill, arguably somewhat more from the Dalai Lama's side than China's.

During a trip to Britain in May, he said he was willing to attend the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics if talks between his envoys and China yielded results. He did not elaborate.

But a Chinese source with ties to the leadership told the news agency an Olympic invite for the Dalai Lama or a summit with President Hu Jintao was out of the question unless Hu can mollify conservatives in his ruling Communist Party.

The Dalai Lama says he wants autonomy for the Himalayan region. But China is unconvinced and brands him a separatist.

He extended an olive branch to China praising the Chinese for their handling of the aftermath of the tremor that left a trail of death and destruction in the southwestern province of Sichuan.

The quake killed about 70,000 people and put China at the receiving end of international sympathy after a period of vilification over a post-riot crackdown in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama held a prayer meeting for Chinese quake victims in Dharamsala on June 4 and his envoys visited the Chinese Embassy in London to express their condolences.

The government-in-exile has urged Tibetans to stop protesting outside Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide.

In a concession, Chinese authorities have freed many Tibetans detained in the wake of the rioting, a source with knowledge of the releases said, requesting anonymity.

Chinese authorities also reciprocated the Dalai Lama's goodwill by reopening Tibet to foreign tourists last month.

ANI