China confirms talks with Dalai Lama's envoys, renews criticism

Asia-Pacific News

Jul 3, 2008, 9:20 GMT

Beijing - China on Thursday confirmed that officials held more talks with envoys of the Dalai Lama, but again accused the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader of supporting recent anti-Chinese riots. Du Qinglin, head of the Communist Party's United Front Work Department, met envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen in Beijing, the department said in statement released via state media. Du told the envoys that the Dalai Lama should 'openly and explicitly promise and prove it in his action not to support activity to disturb the Beijing Olympic Games,' the official Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. He said the Dalai Lama should also promise 'not to support plots to fan violent criminal activities, not to support and concretely curb the violent terrorist activities of the Tibetan Youth Congress, and not to support any argument and activity to seek Tibet independence and split the region from the country.' The Dalai Lama has said he does not support any boycott of the Beijing Olympics and that it is 'better' if Tibetans do not disrupt the Olympic torch relay. For several years, he has publicly renounced independence in favour of maximum autonomy for Tibetans within China. Du also told Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen that China's policy towards the Dalai Lama was 'consistent and explicit, and the door of dialogue is always open'. The statement gave no details of the talks, which were the second since violent anti-Chinese protests erupted in dozens of Tibetan areas in March. The talks were the seventh round of negotiations since 2002. A spokesperson for the Tibetan government-in-exile, based in the Indian town of Dharamsala, said the two envoys were scheduled to leave Beijing for India later on Thursday.

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China confirms talks with Dalai Lama's envoys, renews criticism

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