US asks China to resume dialogue with Dalai Lama

Washington, PTI:

The United States has asked China to resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama, stressing that the spiritual leader was not seeking independence of Tibet, but talks to resolve outstanding issues on it.

"We'd certainly like to see that dialogue resume. As you point out, it is something that has gone on in the past and we think it's the best way to be able to manage and deal with the problems in Tibet," State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said.

"But I'm not in a position at this point to tell you that there's any commitments made that I'm aware of to resume that kind of high-level discussion," he said.

His remarks came after a meeting between the Dalai Lama and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky in Michigan yesterday.

The State Department has not released details of the conversation, except that the meeting was first by a top administration official in the aftermath of the crisis in Tibet.

"The Dalai Lama's public statements mirror the private statements he's made to us. He's not calling for independence for Tibet; he's calling for dialogue with Chinese authorities to be able to help resolve many of the outstanding questions, including people's rights to practice their religion freely, to observe their cultural traditions freely and to be able to otherwise enjoy some basic civil liberties," Casey added.