Dharamshala, April 9 – Tibet’s Prime Minister-in-exile says his government is open for a compromise and a rapprochement with China.
Samdhong Rinpoche’s comments came ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India on Saturday for rare but crucial discussions, which will include a longstanding boundary dispute and Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, reviled by Beijing as a separatist.
China has not shown any change of heart for the Dalai Lama, who lives in an Indian hill station along with Tibet’s government-in- exile, despite his recent soft talk on seeking autonomy and not independence.
China imposed Communist rule on Tibet after its troops invaded the region in 1950. Though a delicate and slow-moving process to pave the way for a dialogue on the future of Tibet is underway, little headway has been made.
“We are trying to have policy of rapprochement and negotiation or compromise or accommodating with each other. Although we don’t have any direct programme to meet him (Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao) or apprise him this time but his visit is naturally important for all of us,” Rinpoche said in an interview on Friday at Dharamshala, their headquarters.
Some Tibetan activists held demonstrations in the run-up to Wen’s visit protesting what they term as atrocities and human rights abuse by Beijing.
Rinpoche appealed activists against protests, adding that there were more acceptable ways of making their point.
“We have appealed to all of them not to make any aggressive demonstration. Whatever their grievances, can be communicated through letters or through more appropriate channels. They should not make any demonstration or any such thing that might embarrass the host country, embarrass India and also embarrass the visiting Prime Minister,” he said.
Despite a long-standing border dispute and India’s treatment of the Dalai Lama, relations with China have been warming.
Wen’s visit aims to make progress on resolving a longstanding border dispute with India as well as building closer trade ties.
Relations between the world’s most populous countries are at their peak, with both emerging as economic and diplomatic heavyweights on the world stage and discovering the language of cooperation rather than competition.
