Dalai Lama welcome, but...

2003-08-25 10:51

Lhasa, China - The Dalai Lama may return to Tibet but only as a Chinese citizen and he must renounce all notions of Tibetan independence so that negotiations with Beijing can progress, Tibet's new governor said on Monday.

In his first remarks to foreign journalists since taking office in April, Jampa Phuntsok's tone seemed mild compared with some previously hardline statements by Beijing's representatives.

Nonetheless, he reiterated China's bottom line: the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism must accept that Tibet is a part of China.

"The sovereignty issue brooks no discussion. It is also inappropriate for the Dalai Lama to discuss human rights," Jampa Phuntsok said. "We can only discuss the Dalai Lama's future."

The governor also criticized the possibility of the Dalai Lama meeting with US President George W Bush in Washington, saying that "would not benefit his contacts with the central government" in Beijing.

Jampa Phuntsok said two recent visits to China by top advisers of the Dalai Lama had improved understanding between the sides.

But he said it was up to the Dalai Lama to engineering a breakthrough by accepting China's demands.

"Only in this way can he show his true sincerity," the governor said. "He can only come back as a Chinese citizen."

Beijing's communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951. The government in Beijing maintains that the region has been part of Chinese territory for centuries.

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following an abortive uprising against Chinese rule and heads what he calls a government-in-exile in the mountain town of Dharmsala in India.

The governor said China would refuse any contacts with officials from the Dalai Lama's government and would talk with his representatives only in a private capacity.

The Beijing government frequently heaps disdain upon the Dalai Lama, calling him a "splittist" and condemning anyone who shows sympathy to the "Dalai clique."

Jampa Phuntsok, however, did not level those accusations this time or accuse the Dalai Lama of undermining stability in Tibet. The lack of such remarks could indicate a milder approach on the part of the Chinese government.

- AP