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Dalai Lama in talks offer
US urges restraint amid massive Tibet troop build-up as protests spread in China.
- Agencies
- Published: 23:54 March 20, 2008
- I am always ready to meet our Chinese leaders, particularly Hu Jintao, says Dalai Lama.
- Image Credit: AP
Dharamsala: The Dalai Lama said on Thursday that he was ready to talk to Chinese leaders once the violent protests in Tibet died down as the US urged China to show restraint over the crisis amid reports of a massive Chinese troop build-up.
"I am always ready to meet our Chinese leaders, particularly Hu Jintao," the Dalai Lama told reporters, referring to the president of China. He added he was ready to travel to Beijing.
The Tibetan leader said he was worried there may be further violence in Tibet, especially in the remote areas, and reiterated his appeal for more help from the international community. "So I'm appealing: think, visit these helpless, unarmed, innocent people who simply love Tibetan culture and are not willing to accept others bullying. So these [people] are now facing death."
"Many Tibetans may develop unrealistic expectations," the Dalai Lama said, without elaborating. "For that reason I may have to think very carefully. When time comes to go there I am ready."
In Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the Chinese Foreign Minister to show restraint in Tibet and open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Her conversation late Wednesday with Yang Jiechi came amid reports of a huge Chinese military build-up in the region with thousands of soldiers seen in Lhasa yesterday.
"Nobody wants to see violence ... So we have strongly urged Chinese restraint in these regards," State Department spokes-man Sean McCormack said. "[Rice] was able to reiterate very directly with the foreign minister our views urging Chinese restraint in dealing with protestors," McCormack told reporters.
The Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that Chinese police opened fire and wounded four pro-testers in unrest earlier this week in a Tibetan community in Sichuan.
The report came as Tibet authorities said they had arrested dozens of people involved in a wave of anti-Chinese violence that has swept the mountain region and prompted Beijing to pour in troops to crush further unrest. The prosecutor's office in Lhasa said 24 people faced charges of "endangering national security as well as beating, smashing, looting, arson and other grave crimes" in last Friday's riots, the Tibet Daily reported.
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