China, Tibet talks on radar

NISHIT DHOLABHAI

New Delhi , April 28: The decks are possibly being cleared for talks between the Dalai Lama’s representatives and Beijing, but the plans are still under wraps.

Lodi Gyar, senior envoy of the Dalai Lama in Washington, and Kelsang Gyaltsen, another envoy based in Switzerland, could be the key negotiators, Thubten Samphel, the spokesperson for the Tibetan administration-in-exile, said.

Gyar has received “verbal communication” from Chinese authorities and is in constant touch with them, Samphel said. The envoys are also in touch with each other and the Dalai Lama’s office in Dharamsala.

Officials in the Tibetan government-in-exile said the envoys were still believed to be “in their respective locations” in the US and Switzerland. They said they had no other detail.

Beijing is likely to give out the details tomorrow. “There will be a press conference tomorrow where you will come to know,” a spokeswoman at the Chinese foreign ministry said over the phone from Beijing.

Both sides are unwilling to speak more before a final decision is taken on how, when and where the talks will be held.

The Dalai Lama has welcomed the talks offer but emphasised that any negotiation should be meaningful. Six rounds of talks have been held since 2002, the last in June 2007.

Although the Chinese are believed to have offered the negotiations, the rhetoric against the Dalai Lama is continuing. Beijing accuses him of playing the “international card” by travelling to western countries.

He recently visited the US, which, along with France and Germany, has apparently welcomed China’s offer for negotiations. Beijing was in a spot with worldwide protests by Tibetan activists against the Olympic torch relay.