New Delhi - Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama,
welcomed Saturday the Chinese government's call for talks but only if
it was serious about engaging in dialogue.
The Dalai Lama was speaking to reporters at New Delhi airport on
his return from a tour of the United States, his secretary Tenzin
Takhla said. The Tibetan leader lives in exile in the northern Indian
town of Dharamsala.
China's state-run news agency Xinhua had reported Friday that the
Chinese government was ready to begin a dialogue with the Dalai
Lama's representatives within days.
'The Dalai Lama has always been ready for talks. But he feels
there is no point in a dialogue, if it has no substance and is just
an attempt by the Chinese government to put on a show for the outside
world,' Takhla said.
The Dalai Lama's office had received no intimation yet from
Chinese officials inviting them for a dialogue, he said.
Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-
exile, also based in Dharamsala, had said in a statement Friday that
Tibetan leaders felt normalcy had to return to Tibetan areas before
talks could resume.
'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 bringing
about this,' he said in a statement.
Takhla said the Dalai Lama or the Tibetan government in exile had
not outlines any prerequisites for proposed talks.
'His holiness is concerned about the ongoing repression in Tibet.
Arbitrary arrests are happening every day and it is a cause of
concern,' he said. 'We have to ensure that the atmosphere is
conducive for talks.'
The Tibetan government-in-exile claims the Chinese government has
exercised severe repression in Tibet and has restricted free movement
of Tibetans and was carrying out arbitrary arrests in the wake of
unrest which began on March 10.
The violence left 19 people dead, according to the Chinese
government. The Tibetan government-in-exile claims at least 140
people were killed, most of them Tibetans shot by Chinese police.
The Dalai Lama says he wants greater autonomy for Tibet within
China. The Chinese government has engaged in six rounds of dialogue
with representatives of the Dalai Lama since 2002, but without
progress. The last round was held in June 2007.
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