Talks break down between Beijing, Tibet envoy

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The Chinese Government has announced that talks with the Dalai Lama's representatives have failed.

Following international pressure, China recently resumed talks withenvoys of the Tibetan spiritual leader and the latest round of meetingswas last week.


But according to an official Communist Party statement, the Dalai Lama's envoys are to blame for the failure of talks.


The statement also said that China will never compromise on its administration of Tibet.


"Our contacts and talks failed to make progress and they [the DalaiLama's representatives] should assume full responsibility for it,"executive vice minister of the Communist Party's United Work FrontDepartment, Zhu Weiqun, said.

"In our conversations, we pointed out that the unification of themotherland, territorial integrity and national dignity are the greatestinterests of the Chinese people.

"On these fronts, we won't make any concessions, at any time and foranyone," Mr Zhu - whose department is in charge of contacts withindividuals and organisations outside the party - said.

Envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader who haslived in India for nearly half a century, ended two days of talks onWednesday (local time) with Chinese officials in Beijing, their thirdround of negotiations this year.

Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, Kelsang Gyaltsen and three aides arrived in theChinese capital on October 30 but only began formal discussions onTuesday, according to the Tibet's Government-in-exile in India.

Mr Zhu said that "though there existed serious divergences of views in this talk, the atmosphere in general was candid".

The Dalai Lama has sought "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet since hefled his homeland following a failed uprising in 1959 against Chineserule, nine years after Chinese troops invaded the region.

China claims he actually seeks full independence - a "separatist" action which it opposes.

Tensions came to a head on March 14 this year when violence eruptedin the Tibetan capital Lhasa against Chinese rule, before spreading toother areas of western China with Tibetan populations.

Tibet's Government-in-exile said more than 200 Tibetans were killedand about 1,000 hurt in a subsequent Chinese crackdown, but Chinareported police killing one "insurgent" and blamed Tibetan "rioters"for 21 deaths.

During the visit last week, the envoys were taken to the Muslimautonomous region of Ningxia by Chinese authorities to demonstrateBeijing's handling of minority concerns.

Mr Zhu said the talks had centred mostly on the Dalai Lama and his policies.

"We merely talked about how the Dalai Lama should completely give uphis splittist (sic) opinions and actions and strive for theunderstanding of the central authorities and all Chinese people so asto solve the issue concerning his own prospects," he said.
But even before talks started, the Dalai Lama said earlier thismonth that his drive for greater autonomy had ended in failure, andurged Tibetans to be open to all options in negotiations with Beijingover the region's future.

He has called a meeting among Tibetans for later this month todecide on a future strategy toward the Chinese Government, with somesuggesting a shift to demanding full independence could be adopted.

Sita, an ethnic Tibetan vice minister of the United Front Workdepartment, insisted that "the door for contacts and talks is alwaysopen".


However, he added the "door for independence" was closed, inresponse to a question on whether the possibility of further talks wasdiscussed.

"What he [the Dalai Lama] can do includes... stopping separatistactivities, openly recognising Tibet as part of China and openlyrecognising that Taiwan is part of China," Mr Zhu added.

"On such a basis, we will continue to conduct contacts and talks with him."