Tenth round of talks likely in December, says Tibetan PM
Phayul
October 15, 2010
Dharamsala, October 15 — Prime Minister of Tibet’s government in exile Prof Samdhong Rinpoche has said that the the next round of talks, tenth in the series held since 2002, could possibly take place in December.
“We have made full preparations for talks with China, which could be held anytime,” Hindustan Times newspaper quoted the Tibetan Prime Minister as saying in its Thursday’s edition.
Although Rinpoche did not confirm the schedule for talks, he indicated that the next round could possibly take place in December, the paper added.
“It is for them to decide the venue and time for talks,” said Rinpoche indicative of the feelers being sent from China.
Nine rounds of talks held so far between the two sides did not produce any concrete results. After a hiatus of almost 15 months the two sides held their ninth round of dialogue in January 2010 in Beijing.
With no response from China over talks for the last 10 months, according to Hindustan Times, the Tibetans had “apparently stepped up their efforts through private channels to pursue Chinese leaders to engage in a dialogue”.
“Yes, we are in touch with the Chinese side,” Rinpoche said.
Two-time PM, Rinpoche heads the task force constituted by the Tibetan government-in-exile to assist the Dalai Lama’s talks on Tibet with China.
The Tibetan side this time has “proposed to work jointly with the Communist government to improve situation inside the China-administered Tibet”, the paper said.
“This time, the Tibetan side has proposed to work on joint strategy with Chinese counterparts to create more conducive environment within Tibet,” it added.
“Talks would primarily focus around 13-point charter of demands submitted to the Chinese counterparts during the eight rounds of talks,” the paper cited a member of the Tibetan delegation to China as saying on request of anonymity
The paper also cited reliable sources in the Tibetan administration as saying that the Tibetan side would submit a note for clearing the doubts raised at the time of the ninth round of talks during the next round of meeting.
The Chinese side during the eighth round of talks two years ago had rejected the Tibetan people’s memorandum for genuine autonomy. The memorandum met with Beijing’s derision with the Communist leaders calling it a demand for
‘half-independence’ and ‘disguised independence’ or ‘covert independence’.”
The Tibetan side maintains that the articles of the proposed memorandum were prepared in accordance with the provisions of the constitution of People’s Republic of China and its laws on national regional autonomy.
The Dalai Lama, 75, who lives in exile in the Indian hill town of Dharamsala, says he does not want independence for Tibetan regions, but rather greater autonomy. He says the Tibetans should be able to make their own policy regarding religious practice, education and immigration to the regions. Tibetans are anxious over the large numbers of ethnic Han, who dominate most of China, moving to the Tibetan plateau to seek their fortunes.
Chinese Communist government continues to accuse Dalai Lama of being a dangerous “splittist,” and has flooded large areas of Tibetan regions with security forces since a widespread uprising there in March 2008.