China: Dalai Lama must show he does not support Tibet

CHINA demanded that the Dalai Lama prove he does not support Tibetan independence and disruption of the Beijing Olympics during the latest round of talks with the spiritual leader’s representatives, state media reported yesterday.

The demands made by a top Chinese official in two days of meetings indicate there has been no apparent change in Beijing’s position toward the Dalai Lama, who is frequently demonised by the Communist leadership.

Beijing has accused the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and his supporters of fomenting anti-government protests that rocked Tibet and other Tibetan-inhabited areas of China in March.

The accusations have been rebuffed by the self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile, which insisted the Dalai Lama has been tireless in expressing his commitment to nonviolence.

The talks are important to China’s hopes of hosting a flawless Olympic Games. Some experts believe Beijing agreed to the talks to ease criticism it was too heavy-handed in its response to the March violence.

China says 22 people died in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.

However, foreign Tibet supporters say many times that number were killed in the demonstrations and a subsequent government crackdown.

Some world leaders have said they might boycott the opening ceremony of next month’s Olympics to protest China’s handling of the unrest.