Tibetan exiles begin historic talks on China
Updated
Hundreds of exiled Tibetan leaders have arrived in Dharamsala in northern India for landmark talks on the future direction of the Tibetan government in exile. This week's talks were called by Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who has said new ideas are needed after negotiations with Beijing on autonomy have repeatedly failed. Last month, the Dalai Lama voiced impatience with China, appearing to abandon hopes for an autonomy under which Tibetans can freely practise their religion, culture and language.
His two envoys to the last round of talks with China have presented a statement to the exiles gathered in Dharamsala. Envoy Lodi Gyari said Beijing rejected a detailed plan on how Tibetans could achieve a form of autonomy within the framework of the Chinese constitution. China has dismissed this week's meeting as meaningless, saying the participants' views aren't representative.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Tibetan Envoy Lodi Gyari; Samdhong Rinpoche, Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile; Tsewang Rigzin, president of the Tibetan Youth Congress; Tibetan businessman Gonpo Wangchuk; Tenzin Choedon, Students for a Free Tibet
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LODI GYARI, ENVOY: First of all total failure, total failure on the part of the Chinese Government to sincerely reciprocate to the efforts of his holiness for the last many decades.
SEN LAM, PRESENTER: China has dismissed this week's meeting as meaningless saying the participants' views aren't representative. The Dalai Lama who underwent minor surgery last month won't be attending the talks. Samdhong Rinpoche is the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile.
SAMDHONG RINPOCHE, PRIME MINISTER OF TIBETAN GOVERNMENT: This timing of the meeting has nothing to do with his holiness' health or with the dialogues with the PRC. After the sixth round of dialogue we had the feeling that there's not much hope from the present leadership of the PRC.
SEN LAM: Samdhong Rinpoche, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile. There is a growing sense of urgency for Tibetans to come up with a long-term plan for action. Tsewang Rigzin is president of the Tibetan Youth Congress.
TSEWANG RIGZIN, PRESIDENT OF TIBETAN YOUTH CONGRESS: His holiness is 73-years-old, he recently had surgery. Keeping all those in mind, all those factors in mind I think, you know, we are at a cross road and it's very important for us to sit down and really talk about how we go forward. It's not about an organisation, it's not about an individual, it's about the Tibetan nation and the Tibetan people. So as a Tibetan everybody should sit down and talk.
SEN LAM: President of the Tibetan Youth Congress, Tsewang Rigzin. And there are high hopes for a positive outcome as one of the participants, Gonpo Wangchuk, explains.
GONPO WANGCHUCK, PARTICIPANT: I expect a very good result and opinion being given by the general public from the grass root and this will give us a measured focus on how to get a resolution to avoid this hardships and tortures being faced by Tibetan people in Tibet.
SEN LAM: It's a view echoed by Tenzin Choedon of Students for a Free Tibet.
TENZIN CHOEDON, STUDENTS FOR A FREE TIBET: You know there's a lot of hope of change, making a difference and shifting the goal of the movement but, yeah, that's the hope for now.
