China hints at agreeing to Dalai Lama return to Tibet, but says no talks on Tibetan autonomy

China has mentioned it’s going to discuss solely with the representatives of the Dalai Lama and never the officers of the Tibetan government-in-exile based mostly in India. The Chinese facet has mentioned it’s prepared to talk about the “private future” of the Dalai Lama, now 88, but not Tibetan autonomy. This seems to be a touch that he may have the opportunity to return to Tibet after 65 years.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin was reacting yesterday to experiences of the back-channel talks between the Tibetan government-in-exile and the Chinese authorities. He mentioned that China regarded the Tibetan government-in-exile based mostly in Dharamshala as a “separatist” bloc.

“The so-called ‘Tibetan government-in-exile’ is a wholly organised separatist political group with a political platform and an agenda for ‘Tibetan independence’. It is an unlawful organisation that violates China’s Constitution and legal guidelines. No nation on this planet recognises it,” Wang mentioned.

China calls Tibet as “Xizang”.

On Thursday, the “Sikyong” or the political head of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering, instructed a visiting group of journalists in Dharamshala, India, “We have had back-channel (engagement) since final 12 months. But we’ve no fast expectations from it. It has to be a long-term (one).”

Stating that the talks have been “very casual,” the pinnacle of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) mentioned, “I’ve my interlocutor who offers with folks in Beijing. Then, there are different parts additionally attempting to attain out to us.”

Elaborating on China’s stand, Wang mentioned that the Chinese authorities had two primary rules when it got here to contact and talks.

“First, we’d solely have contact and talks with the private consultant of the 14th Dalai Lama, not the so-called ‘Tibetan government-in-exile’ or the ‘Central Tibetan Administration.’ The Chinese authorities is not going to be coping with it,” he mentioned.

“Second, any contact or talks will solely be concerning the private way forward for the 14th Dalai Lama himself, or to the utmost extent, a handful of individuals shut to him, not the so-called ‘excessive diploma of autonomy for Tibet,’” Wang added.

“We hope the 14th Dalai Lama can have a proper understanding of the central authorities’s coverage, significantly mirror on and totally right its political propositions and actions, hand over any exercise aimed to disrupt the social order in Xizang, and return to the correct path. Only then can contact and talks be thought of subsequent,” mentioned the Beijing spokesperson.

The current His Holiness Dalai Lama had fled Tibet in 1959, when he was 23 years outdated, to keep away from being captured by the Chinese army in Lhasa. His journey to India — crossing Himalayan terrain on foot with a small band of loyal followers — turned the stuff of legend.

During the many years in exile, the non secular chief of all Buddhists on this planet has all the time known as for autonomy for Tibet, and Tibetans protests towards China have continued via the years.

From 2002 to 2010, the Dalai Lama’s representatives and the Chinese authorities held 9 rounds of dialogue that didn’t produce any concrete final result.

The Tibetan facet pitched for real autonomy for the Tibetan folks according to the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle-Way Policy’. No formal talks with the Chinese have been held since 2010.

In Dharamshala, one other senior Tibetan chief on Thursday indicated that the back-channel talks have been aimed at reviving the general dialogue course of, because it was the one method out to resolve the Tibetan subject.