China says Tibet talks a failure

Beijing accuses Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China.

tibet china dalai lama
The Dalai Lama has called a meeting of Tibetan exiles to discuss a change of strategy towards Beijing [AFP]

The comments echoed a scathing attack published in state media last week, accusing the Dalai Lama of adopting a “pathetic posture” to draw sympathy for what it said was his pro-Tibetan independence views.

That attack had come a day after the Dalai Lama said he was increasingly doubtful the talks with Beijing would ever produce a breakthrough, saying his “trust in the Chinese government has become thinner, thinner, thinner”.

“Suppression is increasing and I cannot pretend that everything is OK,” he added.

Future strategy

The 73-year-old Nobel Peace laureate has called a meeting later this month of Tibetan exile groups to decide on a future strategy towards the Chinese government.

The meeting in Dharamsala, the seat of Tibet’s government in exile in northern India, will look at re-evaluating the so-called “middle path” policy with China, backed by the Dalai Lama, which espouses “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet.

Many younger, more radical Tibetan activists are increasingly demanding a push for full independence.

Envoys of the Dalai Lama have already returned to India following the talks held with Beijing from October 31 to November 5.
 
They said they would not comment on the talks – the third round since anti-government riots rocked Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, in March – until after the Dharamsala meeting.

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

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies