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China blames Dalai Lama for lack of progress in talks

China yesterday blamed the Dalai Lama and his envoys for the failure to make progress during recent talks, saying the Tibetan leader’s calls for greater autonomy masked his desire for the Himalayan region’s independence.

Zhu Weiqun (朱维群), a senior official from the central government’s department in charge of the discussions, called the question of sovereignty “the most fundamental issue.”

“We will never make a concession,” Zhu, a vice minister of the United Front Work Department, told reporters at a news conference.

“They still use this trick to talk in a roundabout way with the central authorities, which shows that they lack sincerity,” he said. “Our contacts and talks failed to make progress and they should assume full responsibility for it.”

Zhu also dismissed a memo presented by the Dalai Lama’s envoys that called for autonomy, saying it was an attempt to undermine Beijing’s authority in the region.

Many Tibetans insist they were an independent country before communist troops invaded in 1950, while Beijing says the Himalayan region has been part of its territory for centuries.

The Dalai Lama says he does not seek Tibetan independence, but wants meaningful autonomy that would ensure the survival of the region’s unique Buddhist culture. Critics and rights groups say an influx of majority Han Chinese to Tibet, combined with Beijing’s tight restrictions on the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, are eroding the people’s identity.

Zhu’s remarks — among the strongest and most open since direct talks between the Dalai Lama’s emissaries and China began in 2002 — did not bode well for the possibility of a new round. It also cast a shadow on an upcoming meeting of Tibetan exiles in Dharmsala, India, to plan how they will deal with Beijing in the future.

The Dalai Lama’s envoys have met Chinese officials nine times since 2002, including the latest round, held from Oct. 31 to last Wednesday.

Zhu said the memo presented by Dalai Lama representatives Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen called for “genuine autonomy” for Tibet.

He did not give any details, but characterized it as another attempt to split from China.

“We could still see clearly that they did not give up their consistent splitting opinions,” Zhu said.

The Dalai Lama has called a special meeting from next Monday to Saturday in Dharmsala of Tibetan exile communities and political organizations to discuss the future of their struggle.

Envoys of the Dalai Lama have said they would not comment on last week’s talks until after that meeting.

The discussions in Beijing were the third attempt since anti-government riots rocked Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in March.

Beijing says the protests were part of a violent campaign by the Dalai Lama and his supporters to overthrow Chinese rule in Tibet and sabotage the Beijing Olympics. The Dalai Lama has denied involvement in the violence.

Zhu repeated the accusations yesterday, saying the Dalai Lama ignored an appeal from China in July to stop efforts by some overseas Tibetan groups to disrupt the Beijing Olympics.

“Not only did the activities to damage Beijing Olympics not stop, but they escalated,” Zhu said.
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