Dates for next talks with Dalai side yet to be fixed: China

Raghavendra

Beijing, Jun 13 (PTI) As the Dalai Lama expressed hope
that talks between his envoys and China on the festering Tibet
issue may resume next month, Beijing today said the dates for
the parleys were still "under discussion".

"As for the contact with the Dalai Lama, the timeframe is
still under discussion," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman
Qin Gang told a regular media briefing here.

Representatives of the Chinese government and the Tibetan
leader, living in exile in India, had last month held fence-
mending talks after major powers ratcheted up pressure on
Beijing to hold a dialogue on the issue of unrest in Tibet.

In their first encounter, both sides had agreed to resume
the dialogue but no dates for the next round of talks were
announced.

The Dalai Lama, currently on a visit to Australia to
deliver a series of meditation lectures, earlier in the day
said in Sydney he hoped that a new round of talks between his
envoys and Chinese officials would take place "may be next
month." He, however, asserted "stability must come from the
heart, not a gun."

China is now focused on rehabilitation and relief work in
southwest region where a devastating earthquake a month ago
had killed more than 69,000 people and rendered millions
homeless.

On the meetings of the Dalai Lama with leaders of
Australia, Qin said Chinese government firmly opposed his
"engagement in separatist activities in any country with any
itinerary."

"We firmly oppose any country providing support or
convenience for Dalai's engagement in separatist activities.
We request Australia to pay attention to our grave concern and
not to allow Dalai to engage in separatist activities on
Australian territory," Qin said.

Asked why Tibet was still being kept out of bounds for
journalists, he said due to the violence in capital Lhasa, it
and the entire Tibet "are not open to the outside world."

But, he said, "the responsibility should not fall on our
shoulders."

Asked on whom the responsibility should then fall, he
replied, "Don't you know. Of course, it is Dalai's .. Dalai
clique's."
China had accused the Dalai clique or supporters of the
Tibetan spiritual leader for the March unrest in the remote
Himalayan region.

On the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Tibet, he said the
relay in mainland would be adjusted as also in Tibet. The
specific arrangement would depend on the organising committee
for Beijing Olympics, he said. PTI