May 17, 2008

Tibetan leader in exile: new talks soon with China

By LOUISE NORDSTROM

The Associated Press

A new round of talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and Chinese officials is expected to be held in mid-June, Tibet's prime minister in exile said Saturday.

Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche told reporters in Stockholm he hopes China's leadership will 'be serious about dialogue.'

The date and place for the discussions have yet to be decided, he said.

Officials from the India-based Tibetan government-in-exile and China met earlier this month in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen.

Rinpoche said the new round of talks should focus on China's 'repressive measures' in Tibet and the release of Tibetan political prisoners.

He said he worried about the risk of a new uprising, saying China's policies in the region were not helping improve stability.

China has been accused of heavy-handed tactics in quelling protests in Tibet and other Tibetan areas of western China. Some experts believe Beijing agreed to meet with the Dalai Lama's envoys to ease international criticism before the Olympics, which begin in August.

Beijing has repeatedly accused the Dalai Lama and his supporters of fomenting anti-government protests in Tibet _ an allegation the spiritual leader denies.

The Dalai Lama, the Buddhist spiritual leader who fled Tibet in 1959 amid a Chinese crackdown, has previously said he wants some form of autonomy that would allow Tibetans to freely practice their culture, language and religion.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries.