By Brian Adeba
Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari says the issue of Tibet’s autonomy cannot be resolved in a few days, and China needs to set the stage for a breakthrough.
Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari is like any other diplomat you’d meet. He picks his words carefully and expresses optimism when talking about painful and difficult situations. But then, Mr. Gyari is not just any diplomat from any country. He serves Tibet, a country invaded and occupied by China in 1959. He’s also the special representative of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.
Since 1982, Mr. Gyari has been the Dalai Lama’s point man in negotiations with China, negotiations which–for all practical purposes–are moving nowhere near the Tibetan spiritual leader’s wish for autonomy or self-rule within China.
“The Dalai Lama has reached out to successive Chinese governments since 1979, unfortunately without success,” says Mr. Gyari in an interview this week in Ottawa.
With only a slight hint of exasperation at what he says is China’s refusal to come to an understanding, Mr. Gyari stresses that the Dalai Lama, and the Tibetan government in exile, is still committed to a peaceful settlement to the Tibet issue.
Four years ago, talks between the two counterparts resumed. Since then, both parties have held five rounds of discussions. Mr. Gyari says it is the longest uninterrupted relationship both parties have had in a long time. But, as with other previous discussions, the outcome hasn’t yet yielded any breakthrough.
Ever the diplomat, Mr. Gyari notes the fact that the two sides are talking is, in itself, a positive thing.
“We understand it’s a complex issue that cannot be solved in a few days,” he says.
In February this year, both sides met again for talks. The only outcome of the discussions was that “both sides got a clear understanding of each other’s positions.”
“The consultative meetings examined issues with clarity,” says Mr. Gyari. “But the Chinese government failed to create the right kind of environment for a breakthrough.”
Instead, Mr. Gyari says, China demanded that the Dalai Lama should tell Tibet activists worldwide to cut back on demonstrations against visits by Chinese leaders. Mr. Gyari argues that is not something the Tibetan government in exile can do since it has no control over international activists for Tibet’s freedom.
Besides, he argues, Tibet’s government in exile is a democratic institution and telling activists to curb their freedom to express themselves would fly in the face of democracy.
China doesn’t appear to have taken kindly to this. Mr. Gyari notes that Beijing has stepped up criticism of the Dalai Lama in its state-controlled media, issuing “baseless and often derogatory criticism” of the Tibetan spiritual leader. However, Mr. Gyari says the Dalai Lama is still committed to negotiations despite the criticism.
Mr. Gyari also says the Tibetan government in exile (located in India) is not opposed to countries establishing economic ties with China, as the country emerges as an economic superpower.
“We feel that if the relations are handled properly, it could be beneficial to China and Tibet in various fields. However, this should not be at the sacrifice of some of the cardinal principles nations uphold.”
