Mar

31

China Puts Conditions for Talks With Dalai Lama

Filed Under World News | Posted By Jennifer Sullivan | Leave a Comment

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China on Sunday alleged it was open to talks with the Dalai Lama in spite of Tibetans endeavour to disrupt the Olympic flame handover ceremony in Greece.

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao stated that “The channel for discourse is always open. Only if the Dalai Lama gives up his stand on the autonomy of Tibet, chiefly exerts his influence to end the recent violent outbreaks in Tibet, and declares that Tibet and Taiwan are inseparable parts of China.”

In the meantime, a group of pro-Tibet activists strived to stop the Olympic flame from reaching the Panathenian Stadium in Athens, but were quickly controlled by Greek police.

Protesters holding Tibet flags and shouting “Free Tibet” and “China out of Tibet” made an effort but failed to rupture through the police cordon and get to the last torch bearer entering the venue.

Human rights activists also interrupted last Monday’s flame lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia, broadcasted live around the world, unfolding banners accusing China’s rights record.

Greek authorities posted hundreds of police along the route and scores of security vehicles pursued the torch bearers as helicopters hovered overhead - the strictest security measures from the time when the torch relay begun in 1936.

“In 130 days the 2008 Beijing Olympics start on. We and the other countries of the world look forward to this moment,” said Beijing Games organising Chief Liu Qi, adding “welcome to Beijing” in English prior to receive the flame from Minos Kyriakou, President of the Greek Olympic Committee.

Liu then lit a protection lamp, which will keep the flame aflame on the flight to Beijing; where it is scheduled to arrive on Monday.

Also more than one hundred Tibetans have been detained in Kathmandu while trying to storm the Chinese Embassy there. As a reply to what happened in Delhi on March 21, the pro-independence protestors tried to scale the Embassy walls, but were controlled by policemen.

Several protestors and policemen were wounded in the clash. Nepal recognises Tibet as an inseparable part of China.



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