Dalai Lama's Envoys Travel to Beijing for Talks With Chinese Officials | Voice of America - English
Two envoys of the Dalai Lama are traveling to Beijing for talks with Chinese officials on Tibet.
TheDalai Lama's spokesman on Thursday expressed hope that Chineseofficials will use the new round of talks with the Tibetan leader'senvoys to "respond positively." The talks are in continuationof a dialogue that began in 2002 - and will be held days after anunusually blunt Dalai Lama said that he is losing hope that thedialogue with China will lead to any settlement on Tibet. TheTibetan spiritual leader has been seeking some form of politicalautonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practice their culture andreligion. But on the weekend he said at a public function thathe had "given up" because there was no positive response from China inthe talks held so far. He suggested that the Chinese leadership doesnot seem interested in addressing the Tibet issue in a realistic way. The Dalai Lama's spokesman, Tenzin Takhla says there is a sense of frustration among Tibetans. "HisHoliness, not only his Holiness, all the Tibetans have been frustratedat the lack of response, lack of positive response from the Chinese," he said."Rather than admitting there is a problem inside Tibet, that there is aissue, the Chinese keep insisting that everything is fine and thatTibetan people inside Tibet are happy, they blame His Holiness for theunrest, they say there is no Tibetan issue. So we hope the Chinesewould use this opportunity to respond positively." This week'stalks will be the second between the Dalai Lama's envoys and Beijingsince Chinese security forces crushed anti-China riots which erupted inMarch in Tibet. Beijing blamed the Dalai Lama's supporters forengineering the violence, while the Tibetan leader said the protestswere like a "people's movement." Tibetan officials in Indiahave convened a meeting of Tibetan exile communities and politicalorganizations in mid-November to consider the foundering dialogue withChina. Some observers say the meeting may consider a shift instrategy. So far the Dalai Lama's has adopted what he calls"the Middle Way" - non violence and more dialogue with the Chinese. Butthere has been a growing impatience among younger Tibetan exiles withthat strategy. China has ruled Tibet since 1951, and denies any charges of repression in the region.