Tenth round of talks likely in December

Friday, October 15, 2010

Hindustan Times
By Gaurav Bisht
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File Photo: Special Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari (L) and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen at a press briefing in Dharamsala, India.

Dharamsala- Amidst the deadlock over “fragile” talks on the issue of Tibet with China, the envoys of Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, are readying themselves for the next round of negotiations.

While nine rounds of talks thus far have failed to find any tangible solution to resolve the Tibetan issue, the Tibetan side this time has proposed to work jointly with the Communist government to improve situation inside the China-administered Tibet.

“We have made full preparations for talks with China, which could be held anytime,” Tibetan Prime Minister-in-exile, Samdhong Rinpoche confirmed to Hindustan Times.

Two-time PM, Rinpoche heads the task force constituted by the Tibetan government-in-exile to assist the Dalai Lama’s talks on Tibet with China.

Rinpoche did not confirm the schedule for talks but indicated that the next round could possibly take place in December.

“It is for them to decide the venue and time for talks,” said Rinpoche while dropping indication about feelers being sent from China.

“Yes, we are in touch with the Chinese side.”

With no response from China over talks for the last 10 months, the Tibetans had apparently stepped up their efforts through private channels to pursue Chinese leaders to engage in a dialogue.

This time, the Tibetan side has proposed to work on joint strategy with Chinese counterparts to create more conducive environment within Tibet.

“Talks would primarily focus around 13-point charter of demands submitted to the Chinese counterparts during the eight rounds of talks,” said a member of the Tibetan delegation to China on request of anonymity.

The Chinese side during the eighth round of talks two years ago had rejected the Tibetan people’s memorandum for genuine autonomy. Communist leaders had termed the Tibetan peoples charter as demand for half-independence. The Tibetan side, however, maintained that articles of the proposed memorandum were prepared in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of People’s Republic of China and its laws on national regional autonomy. The Tibetan side had been raising objections to population transfer in Tibet. Apart from this the Dalai Lama’s envoys Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen had demanded reduction in military presence in Tibet.

Tibetans say that China had increased its troops in Tibet ever since the protests broke out in Tibet ahead of the 2008 Olympics. China had blamed the Dalai Lama for orchestrating the widespread protest, the charge often denied by Tibetan-in-exile.

Reliable sources in the Tibetan administration reveal that the Tibetan delegation, on meeting the Chinese counterparts for the next round of talks, would submit a note for clearing the doubts raised at the time of the ninth round of talks.

The Dalai Lama, 75, who is living in exile in the hill town of Dharamshala since he fled Lhasa after a failed uprising in 1959, has given up the demand for independence for Tibetan regions, but continues to seek greater autonomy. His envoys have held nine rounds of talks with China since the dialogue between the two sides resumed in 2002.