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China attacks Dalai Lama's remarks

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The Dalai Lama speaks to reporters at a press conference in Tokyo on 3 November 2008. China attacked the Dalai Lama over his recent remarks saying his “middle way” approach to secure Tibetan autonomy from China has failed to bring a positive change in Tibet.AP/Katsumi Kasahara/Japan

China attacked the Dalai Lama over recent remarks in which he said that his efforts to achieve greater autonomy through his middle-way policy have failed to produce any results and that the situation in Tibet has deteriorated in recent times.

During a press conference in Tokyo on 3 November, the Dalai Lama said, “My trust in the Chinese government has become thinner, thinner, thinner. Suppression [in Tibet] is increasing and I cannot pretend that everything is OK.”

He said the situation in Tibet is “very sad” and the Chinese government is handing down “death sentence” to Tibetans.

“I have to accept failure. Meantime among Tibetans in recent years, our approach failed to bring positive change inside Tibet, so criticism has also increased. So there is no other alternative than to ask people he added.

A commentary published by the official Chinese news agency, Xinhua, said that such remarks “confound black and white ” and “disregard facts,” and they were an attempt to add weight to his “separatist ambitions”.

The report said the remarks came at a time when Beijing is arranging another round of contacts and negotiations with “his private representatives”.

Two envoys of the Dalai Lama have been in Beijing since 30 October for the eighth round of talks. Previous meetings have failed to produce any results on demands for greater autonomy for Tibet.

Accepting failure of the talks, the Dalai Lama urged Tibetans to decide for themselves the future direction of their movement. A week-long meeting of Tibetan exiles will be held from the 17th of this month in Dharamshala, the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile, to decide on a future strategy towards the Chinese government.

“By stressing his ‘disappointment’ over the contacts and negotiations, the Dalai Lama deliberately adopted a pathetic posture only in an attempt to draw public attention and sympathy,” Xinhua said.

“His ‘disappointment’ also showed his reluctance to give up his stance to seek ‘Tibetan independence’.”

The commentary further said that the Dalai Lama “betrayed his home country” when he fled to India in 1959, and he has never made any efforts for or contributions to the protection and development of Tibetan culture, while calling himself “the protector of Tibetan culture.”

Copyright © 2008 Tibet Sun

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