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| Dalai Lama says 'no hope'
for talks with China: spokesman-(Oct 27 2008) |
Article link
AFP |
DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) – The Dalai Lama is considering
a major policy shift towards China following a complete
lack of progress in talks on Tibetan autonomy with
Beijing, a senior aide said Monday.
The Tibetan leader's spokesman Tenzin Taklha said all
options would be on the table at a meeting scheduled
next month of exiled Tibetan leaders involved in the
campaign for greater autonomy for their Himalayan
homeland.
"The only non-negotiable aspect is that the movement
will still be non-violent. Everyone is agreed on that,"
Taklha said.
In his first public address since undergoing surgery for
gallstones, the Dalai Lama said at the weekend that he
had given up on extracting any concessions from Beijing
after seven rounds of talks between Tibetan envoys and
Chinese officials.
"He's lost hope in trying to reach a solution with the
present Chinese leadership which is simply not willing
to address the issues," Taklha said, citing continued
persecution of Tibetans.
"His Holiness feels that other options have to be
considered, and this will be done at the meeting in
November," he said.
Taklha stressed, however,
that there was no immediate prospect of the 73-year-old
Dalai Lama going into retirement.
The Dalai Lama champions a "middle path" policy with
China which espouses "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet,
rather than full independence as many younger, more
radical activists are demanding.
Despite the current sense of frustration, Taklha said an
eighth round of talks with Beijing was expected to go
ahead as scheduled this week.
"Whatever happens we have to keep the door to dialogue
open,' he said.
Violent protests against Chinese rule broke out across
Tibet in March, sparking a heavy Chinese crackdown that
drew global condemnation.
Beijing accused the Dalai Lama of masterminding the
unrest in order to destabilize the country and promote
Tibetan independence -- a claim he denies.
The Dalai Lama fled into exile in India in 1959
following a failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese
rule.
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