China accuses Dalai Lama of sabotaging Olympics
Beijing breaks its silence on talks with envoys of exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, with a fresh tirade accusing him of sabotaging the Olympic Games, reports Reshma Patil.
Beijing has broken its silence on talks with envoys of exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, with a fresh tirade accusing him of sabotaging the Olympic Games - a clear indication that the dialogue had stalled again.
On record, China continues to say its door to dialogue with the Dalai Lama is open and even gave his two envoys a tour of Beijing's Olympics stadiums this week. Officials said that next round of talks may be held before the end of the year, provided the Dalai Lama made “positive moves”.
But China still labels the Dalai Lama as a dangerous splittist instigating anti-China violence charges he has repeatedly denied. This week's talks the seventh round since 2002 and held under increasing international pressure on China as the Olympics approach, ended on the same note.
On Thursday, an official statement released by the state-run Xinhua news agency said Du Qinglin, head of the United Front Work Department who led the talks, told the envoys that the “the Dalai Lama should prove in his actions not to support activities to disturb the Olympics… not to support plots to fan violent criminal activities.” He demanded an “open and explicit promise” to that effect.
Du also demanded the "the Dalai Lama should not support any argument and activity to seek Tibet independence and curb the “violent terrorist activities” of the Tibetan Youth Congress.
The Dalai Lama, who is urging the world to support autonomy for Tibet, said in a letter released in Tokyo this week, that the talks had taken place at a crucial time when the survival of Tibetans is at stake as their cultural and spiritual heritage is eroded under Chinese efforts to assimilate Tibet. “We are neither anti-China nor anti-Chinese and we have great admiration for China and its people,” he said.