We tried to dispel China’s doubts: Dalai Lama’s envoys

DHARAMSALA/BEIJING - The Tibetan government-in-exile has submitted an “explanatory” note to the Chinese leadership to clarify its stand on autonomy and requested them to stop accusing the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama’s envoys said here Tuesday. The Chinese, however, said, the two sides had “sharply divided views as usual”.

“We tried to dispel China’s doubts and misunderstandings. We presented a explanatory note to the Central United Front Work Department regarding the memorandum on genuine autonomy for Tibetans that was given to Chinese authorities in the last round of talks (in November 2008),” Lodi G. Gyari told reporters.

Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen returned to Dharmsala, the base of the Tibetan government, from Beijing Monday after holding the ninth round of talks with the Chinese leadership. They had left on Jan 26.

“The note, containing seven points, addressed the issues raised by the Chinese during the eighth round. We told them that we want to settle the issue mutually and within the framework of their (Chinese) constitution, law and national regional autonomy. We do not have any secret agenda and we respect the hierarchy of the Chinese government,” he said.

On the accusations of separatism against the Dalai Lama, the envoy said: “We request the Chinese to stop baseless accusations against His Holiness…urge them to work with him to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Tibetan problem based on the memorandum.”

“A major difference between the two sides was the conflicting perspectives on the current situation inside Tibet. In order to have a common understanding of the real situation, we suggested a common effort to study the actual reality on the ground,” Gyari said.

“It’s difficult to tell the Chinese reaction to this round of talks. We are hopeful of finding a mutual agreed solution,” he said, on being asked about the outcome of the talks.

In Beijing, Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said they had been accustomed to such a viewpoint confrontation as views had been divided in previous talks.

But he added the viewpoint confrontation also “had some upside” as it let both sides know what exactly were their differences were and how wide were the differences.

“It helps the Dalai Lama realise the position he has been in.”

The government wanted to “give the Dalai Lama a chance to correct his mistakes” by holding talks with his envoys, Zhu said at a press conference, reported Xinhua.

Zhu stressed that the talks were not without result as the central government arranged trips for the envoys to visit central Hunan province to better understand the country and the ethnic autonomy policy.

China had already said after the conclusion of the talks that it will never make any concession on the issue of its sovereignty.

In November 2008, the discussion between the two sides collapsed after China’s rejection of the Tibetan demands for autonomy.

The latest meeting followed a reshuffle of Chinese officials in Tibet, including the appointment of military veteran Pema Thinley as governor of the Tibetan Autonomous Region.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. His government-in-exile is not recognised by any country.

Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama is visiting Washington for a 10-day visit starting Feb 16. However, the Nobel laureate’s aides could not confirm whether the spiritual leader would have a meeting with US President Barack Obama.

China has already warned Sino-US ties would be damaged if obama met Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, adding that the move would “harm others but bring no profit to itself either”.

US would violate international rules by meeting the Dalai Lama, Zhu said, terming such a move “both irrational and harmful”.