China indifferent to Tibet talks: Envoy

BY RAMESH RAMACHANDRAN

NEW DELHI

July 4: Dalai Lama’s special envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari says talks with China remain on "life-support system" because of indifference of the Chinese authorities.

"This was one of the most difficult sessions we had with Chinese counterparts," he said here after returning from Beijing, where the seventh round of talks were held on July 1 and 2.

"At one point I really felt and I told my Chinese counterparts very candidly that if there is no seriousness on their part, it is almost pointless for us to waste each other’s time," he said before leaving for Dharamsala on Friday. "We have our commitments to the process of dialogue [but] it is still on life support system ... I’m really surprised in spite of the fact that they have such a humungous problem in Tibet the leadership seems to be so indifferent," he added, disappointingly.

Further criticising Beijing’s attitude, the envoy said, "So far all the efforts have been made from our part and if they really believe that we are family, then I think as the elder brother in the family, they should be the one making efforts [or] taking initiatives."

"Unfortunately I am beginning to become myself a member of that section [of Tibetans that all this is gimmick in order to take off pressure from the criticisms they are facing on Tibet before Olympics," he said, hoping Beijing would do more to "reassure" and to inspire confidence in Tibetans when they next meet.

Mr Lodi Gyari has agreed to revisit China for talks in "a couple of months" time. The next round is expected to be held after the conclusion of the August 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

He said Beijing has come to realise that labelling the Dalai Lama as being responsible for disturbances in Tibet and accusing him of sabotaging the Beijing Olympics "is something that no one buys". "I’m happy because they have come to their senses. I’m happy for them because such baseless accusations make [them] look ridiculous in the eyes of the world," he added. The latest round of talks followed the May 4 meeting between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and representatives of the Chinese leadership held China. The dialogue process started in 2002.

Mr Gyari and another envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen were accompanied for the recently concluded talks by Sonam N. Dagpo and Bhuchung K. Tsering.