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Dalai Lama pushes for talks
19/03/2008 20:30 - (SA)
Dharamshala - Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Wednesday appealed for a resumption of talks with China following a wave of unrest in his Himalayan homeland.
In a letter released from his base in northern India, he asked world leaders to help push for dialogue with China and to press Beijing to show "restraint" in dealing with the violence in the remote region.
"We remain committed to... pursuing a process of dialogue in order to find a mutually beneficial solution to the Tibetan issue," the Dalai Lama wrote.
"I also seek the international community's support for our efforts to resolve Tibet's problems through dialogue, and I urge them to call upon the Chinese leadership to exercise the utmost restraint in dealing with the current disturbed situation and to treat those who are being arrested properly and fairly."
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Tuesday that Beijing was willing to hold talks, but only after the Dalai Lama gave up what is viewed in China as a campaign for Tibet to be granted independence.
Although the Dalai Lama repeated his accusation that China was engaged in "cultural genocide" in Tibet, he has also responded with conciliatory signals by appealing for calm and asserting he was not out to wrest Tibet from Chinese control.
"His holiness is committed to dialogue with the Chinese. We have to come face-to-face and talk to each other," one of his close aides, Tenzin Taklha said.
"Force is not going to remove this problem."
"We are not asking for independence," Taklha reiterated, stressing that the Dalai Lama was "still committed to the Middle Way approach" - a policy of non-violence and autonomy for Tibet within China.
Annual talks between Beijing and members of the Dalai Lama's government-in-exile based in northern India started in 2002, but have seen little progress.
Taklha said the last talks were held in June and July last year.
The Dalai Lama's letter also repeated his call for an international probe into the unrest.
"Since the Chinese government has accused me of orchestrating these protests in Tibet, I call for a thorough investigation by a respected body, which should include Chinese representatives, to look into these allegations," he said.
"I believe the demonstrations and protests taking place in Tibet are a spontaneous outburst of public resentment built up by years of repression," he added.
Tibet's government-in-exile has put the "confirmed" death toll from a week of unrest at 99, while the exiled Tibetan parliament in Dharamshala has said "hundreds" may have died.
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