Dalai Lama's envoys travelling to Beijing for talks

Dharamshala (HP), Oct 30 (PTI) Two envoys of the Dalai Lama Thursday travelled to the Chinese capital for talks overthe Tibet issue amid fresh acrimony between the two sides after the exiled leader said he has "given up" on the dialogue and that Tibetans should rethink their strategy.

The special representatives -- Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen and
Kelsang Gyaltsen -- accompanied by three senior assistants
left for Beijing Thursday morning for the eighth round of
talks with representatives of the Chinese leadership, Thubten
Samphel, said an official of the Tibetan government-in-exile
based here.

Tenzin Takhla, secretary and spokesman of the Dalai
Lama here, told P.T.I. that the talks will take place at
Beijing Friday but the duration will depend on "positive"
outcome of the deliberations.
This will be the third round of talks this year after
anti-China protests erupted in Tibet and other parts of the
world ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

Envoys, who had been representing the noble laureate
since the start of the talks between the two sides in 2002,
had their final briefing from Prime Minister of the Tibetan
government-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche, Samphel said without
elaborating.

The two sides have had seven rounds of talks with
Chinese officials on Tibet's future as well as on the possible
return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland, from where he fled
to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Beijing's
rule.

The Dalai Lama had last week said that he has "given
up" on efforts to convince China to allow greater autonomy for
Tibet under its rule and called a six-day special meeting of
Tibetans at Macleodganj starting November 17 to discuss other
options for resolving the vexed issue.

The meeting is being attached great importance as this
is for the third occasion after 1951 and 1959 that such a
conclave has been organised, Tibetan officials said, adding
alternate options would be discussed to take forward Tibetans
struggle in view of China was not showing any "positive"
inclination to the Dalai Lama's middle way approach.

Beijing too issued a terse statement Wednesday,
expressing hope that Dalai Lama's delegation would "treasure
this opportunity and make a positive response to the
requirements set forth by the central authorities".

The third meeting with the Dalai Lama's representatives
in 2008 would be held "despite the Lhasa riot in March and
serious disruptions and sabotage to the Beijing Olympic Games
by a handful of Tibet independence" secessionists, Xinhua
quoted an unnamed Chinese official as saying Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the 73-year-old Dalai Lama is leaving for
Japan for a week-long tour tonight. PTI