Dalai Lama not seeking independence for Tibet

Dharmsala: The Dalai Lama has vowed he is not seeking independence for Tibet, and that he is willing to meet with Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao, in an attempt ease tension between the two sides.

Chinese officials said they would talk with the Dalai Lama if he "stopped separatist activities" and recognised Tibet and Taiwan as parts of China.

The Dalai Lama has long maintained that independence wasnot his aim.

"The whole world knows Dalai Lama is not seeking independence, one hundred times, thousand times I have
repeated this. It is my mantra , we are not seeking independence," he told reporters in Dharmsala, the seat of
Tibet's government-in-exile.

The Dalai Lama has said he wants dialogue with China aimed at giving Tibetans autonomy, but remaining under Beijing rule.

"The Tibet problem must be solved between Tibetan people and Chinese people," he said.