Tibet chief attacks Dalai Lama over riots
China’s Communist Party chief in Tibet delivered a fresh attack on the Dalai Lama today as envoys of the region’s exiled leader met for a second day of secretive talks with Chinese officials.
The official Tibet Daily quoted hard-liner Zhang Qingli saying that supporters of the Dalai Lama were behind deadly rioting in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, on March 14 which quickly spread throughout Tibetan areas of western China.
“The March 14 incident was a seriously violent criminal incident by the Dalai clique,” he said.
“The organised and orchestrated incident was created by Tibetan separatists after long-term preparation, with the support and instigation of Western hostile forces.”
He said the violence was timed for the run-up to next month’s Olympics in Beijing.
“At a sensitive moment, they harboured the evil intention of turning the incident into a bloodbath, of disrupting the Beijing Olympics and destroying Tibet’s stability and political harmony,” Mr Zhang said.
The remarks indicate there is no easing of Beijing’s campaign to vilify the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, despite talks this week that followed widespread calls for dialogue from overseas.
The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile said the two-day talks held in the Chinese capital ended today, but did not have any details.
“We are placing great hope on these talks. They were mutually agreed upon,” said Thupten Samphal, a spokesman for the exile government based in Dharmsala, India.
Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche was expected to comment only after the envoys briefed the Dalai Lama.
Chinese officials would not confirm any details, including where the meetings were held or what the agenda was.
Beijing denies the India-based government’s legitimacy and does not want such contacts portrayed as formal negotiations.
The talks have particular importance in light of China’s hopes of hosting a flawless Olympic Games. Some experts believe Beijing agreed to the talks to ease criticism ahead of the games, in a nod to international opinion that broadly regards the Dalai Lama as a figure of moral authority.
Some world leaders have said they might boycott the opening ceremony to protest the Chinese security crackdown in Tibetan areas of China after anti-government protests. French President Nicolas Sarkozy said this week he would attend if the latest talks made progress.
China has governed Tibet since communist troops marched into the Himalayan region in the 1950s.
The Dalai Lama, who fled to India amid a failed uprising in 1959, has said he wants some form of autonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practice their culture, language and religion.
The meetings this week follow informal talks held in early May in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen that ended with an offer from Beijing for future discussions.
China has been accused of using heavy-handed tactics in quelling the anti-government riots and protests in Tibet. Beijing says 22 people died in the violence in Lhasa, while foreign Tibet supporters say many times that number were killed in the protests and a subsequent government crackdown.
