By Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, December 11 – The Special envoy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the leader of the Tibetan delegation for talks with China, Lodi Gyari, has called his counterpart’s remarks and its timing “perplexing”. Gyari was referring to an interview that Zhu Weiqun, vice minister of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the CPC Central Committee, gave to the state run Global Times.
“We are currently under discussion with the Chinese leadership on the next round of dialogue and so the timing and content of this interview are perplexing,” Gyari said in a statement issued yesterday. He added that it was the Chinese side which “cautioned” the Tibetan side from “negotiating through the media”. “But we see it is the Chinese side that is increasingly coming up with obstacles presented through selective interviews to the media.”
Zhu in his interview on December 8 said, “This is yet another lie from the Dalai Lama”, referring to the Tibetan leader’s remarks in Sydney that ‘during the fifth round of talks in February 2006, officials of United Work Front Department had told Lodi Gyari that they knew the Dalai Lama was not seeking an independent Tibet.’
Defending the Tibetan leader’s reported remarks, Gyari said, “During our fifth round of talks in February 2006, the Chinese side clearly expressed appreciation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s position not to seek Tibetan independence and of seeking a solution within the framework of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. The Tibetan transcript from the recording of that meeting shows the Chinese side terming His Holiness’ position as a “Tamsangpo” (good or welcome news).”
He further said that “if the Chinese side is really serious in wanting to address the grievances of the Tibetan people and to provide them with the same rights that are provided for in the Chinese Constitution and the relevant statutes on minority rights, we should do that through our channel and across the dialogue table. His Holiness the Dalai Lama continues to be committed to the dialogue process and we are ever ready to continue the discussions.”
While Gyari’s statement appeared more of a clarification of facts Zhu’s remarks seemed a mix of personal attacks and rebuke. “Zhu also pointed out that, no matter how the Dalai Lama repeats the lies, Gyari has always remained silent in the corner, which may reflect the dilemma of Gyari: while refusing perjury in favor of the Dalai Lama, he is either reluctant or unable to correct his master,” the Global Times reported.
Gyari also said it has been the Tibetan side that has taken the initiatives “for any perceptible positive side to the dialogue process.” “It was at our initiative that contact was re-established and continued since 2002. Every time it has been our initiative that has started the process for the rounds of discussions.”
“It is my understanding that the Chinese leadership is as desirous as our side in continuing a discussion, which we hope will ultimately lead to a mutually satisfactory negotiated solution to the Tibetan issue,” Gyari added.
The Tibetan exile government yesterday at the 20th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s Nobel peace prize said it was committed to resume talks with Beijing on the basis of the “memorandum” that was submitted to China last year.
Another interview with Zhu reportedly conducted by a German magazine on September 22, 2009, was published by the state run Xinhua news agency in October 2009. Zhu set three conditions for talks between the two sides to resume.
