US Government Encourages Substantive Talks on Tibet [Friday, 27 August 2010, 11:30 a.m.]

President Barack Obama meets His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the Map Room of the White House/File Photo

Dharamshala:
The US State Department has submitted its annual report on Tibet
negotiations to the Congress, encouraging substantive dialogue between
His Holiness the Dalai Lama or his representatives and the Chinese
government to resolve long-standing issues.The 2009-2010 report
outlined the “US Policy on Tibet”, “Steps taken by the President and
the Secretary of State to encourage the government of the People’s
Republic of China (PRC) to enter into a dialogue with Dalai Lama or his
representatives leading to a negotiated agreement on Tibet” and “Status
of discussions between the PRC and the Dalai Lama’s representatives”.“The
US government believes that the Dalai Lama can be a constructive
partner for China as it deals with the difficult challenge of
continuing tensions in Tibetan areas. His views are widely reflected
within Tibetan society, and he commands the respect of the vast
majority of Tibetans. His consistent advocacy on non-violence is an
important principle for making progress toward a lasting solution,” the
report noted.“China’s engagement with the Dalai Lama or his
representatives to resolve problems facing Tibetans is in the interests
of both the Chinese government and the Tibetan people. Failure to
address these problems will lead to greater tensions inside China and
will be an impediment to China’s social and economic development.”The
US government reiterated its call for China to respect the unique
religious, lingustic, and cultural heritage  of the Tibetan people and
their human rights, and civil liberties.(Click for full report)