[Buddha-l] China hosted 'frank' Tibet talks

[jkirk]

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7389277.stm

8 May 2008 
China hosted 'frank' Tibet talks  
 
A spokesman for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai
Lama, says talks with Chinese officials last week were "open and
frank". 

In his first remarks since the talks, Lodi Gyari said both sides
had "strong and divergent views" on the causes of violence in
Tibet in March. 

The envoy said a date for further talks would be announced soon. 

China has accused the Dalai Lama of instigating the violence and
of seeking to undermine the Beijing Olympics. 

Two aides of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader travelled to
Beijing for the talks on Sunday. 

It was the first contact between the two sides since anti-China
protests in Tibet in March turned violent. 

Release prisoners 

In a written statement, Mr Gyari said each side had exchanged
"concrete proposals which can be part of a future agenda". 

But he categorically rejected Chinese accusations that the Dalai
Lama had instigated unrest and demonstrations in Tibet. 

Instead, he described the events in Tibet as the inescapable
consequences of decades of wrong official policy. 

"The task at hand is to address the legitimate concerns of the
Tibetan people in a realistic and constructive way," he said. 

He said the Tibetan side had asked for the release of prisoners
and access to medical treatment for the injured. 

Mr Gyari also called for an end to China's "patriotic
re-education" campaign, which he said was deeply resented by the
Tibetan people. 

 

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