New Delhi - Envoys for the Dalai Lama said Sunday that China made it clear in recent talks that it has no interest in a serious solution to the question of Tibet's status. Speaking in Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in- exile, the envoys said they were disappointed with the Chinese stance during the negotiations.
Envoy Kasur Lodi Gyari said that in the talks in early November, Chinese officials categorically rejected points in a memorandum from the Dalai Lama that called for more autonomy for Tibetans living in China. Calls for protection of the Tibetan language and culture were termed "secessionist," said Gyari.
He also rejected Chinese claims that the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, is pushing for Tibetan independence from China. Gyari said that the goal of the Dalai Lama and the government-in- exile is more religious and cultural autonomy, not independence, and that those goals are in keeping with the Chinese constitution.
Hundreds of Tibetan exiles are set to meet in Dharamsala Monday to discuss the future of relations with China.
