China asks Dalai to curb activities of Tibetan Youth Congress

Raghavendra

Beijing, July 5 (PTI) The latest talks between China
and Dalai Lama's envoys failed to make any breakthrough on the
vexed Tibet issue, with hawkish Beijing demanding that the
exiled leader take "concrete" steps to curb the anti-Beijing
"plots" of the India-based Tibetan Youth Congress.

During the talks which began here Monday, the Chinese
officials told the Dalai Lama's envoys that the Buddhist
leader must not support any activity to disturb the Beijing
Olympics in August.

The officials said exiled leader should "not support
plots to fan violent criminal activities and take concrete
steps to curb the violent terrorist activities of the Tibetan
Youth Congress".

The Chinese demands were conveyed by Du Qinglin, head
of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of
China Central Committee during his meeting with the Dalai
Lama's representatives Lodi Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen.

Du told the self-exiled leader's envoys that the
central government's policy towards the Dalai Lama "is
consistent and explicit and the door of dialogue is always
open", state-run Xinhua news agency said quoting a statement
issued by the department.

During the latest round of talks, second since the
most violent anti-government protest erupted in Lhasa in
March, Chinese officials also demanded that the 72-year-old
monk should "openly and explicitly" promise and prove through
his action not to support any activity linked to Tibet's
independence.

Representatives of the Dalai Lama, living in exile in
India, were here for the talks, which according to the Tibetan
government in exile were scheduled for two days from Tuesday.

Both sides had held the first round of inconclusive
talks on May four in Shenzen amid mounting international
pressure after riots broke out in Tibet during the most
sustained anti-China protests in two decades.

The Chinese statement gave no further details,
including whether another round of talks would be held.

Ever since the riots erupted in Tibet in March, China
has vilified the Dalai Lama, accusing him of having
masterminded the violence and insisted that he must take
"credible steps" to stop what it called his "splittist
activities" and attempts to "sabotage" the Olympics.

The Tibetan Youth Congress has been in the forefront
of the anti-Beijing protests, particularly during the relay of
the Olympic torch in different countries.

The Nobel laureate has said he only wants autonomy for
Tibet and fully supported Beijing, even offering to attend the
opening ceremony of the games if invited.

As the talks were underway, the exiled leader pressed
the international community to speak for the Tibetan people at
this "critical stage" and prodded China for progress in the
dialogue over the "grim" situation in the remote Himalayan
region.

"Tibet today is passing through a very critical period
with the very survival of the Tibetan people at stake. The
situation in Tibet continues to be grim", he said in a message
to a conference in Tokyo, while flaying Beijing for "eroding
the Tibetan people's distinct cultural and spiritual
heritage".

Prior to the talks got off to the start, Chinese
Foreign Ministry had said it hoped the "contact and dialogue"
with the Dalai Lama side could make "positive progress".

The two sides have held six rounds of talks since 2002
but without making headway. PTI