US and UK Call for Meaningful Dialogue on TibetFriday, 31 October 2008, 12:26 p.m.
Dharamshala: The US State Department and the UK Foreign Ministry called for a meaningful dialogue on Tibet, ahead of the 8th round of talks between the Chinese leadership and the envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Beijing.The United States said on Thursday it “encourages China to examine policies that have created tensions due to their effect on Tibetan culture, religion and livelihoods.” “It has been our longstanding and consistent view that the most appropriate and productive means of dealing with the difficult issue of Tibet is through serious, substantive dialogue between the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama’s representatives,” State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said.”In order for the dialogue to be meaningful, both parties must be genuinely committed to the process,” he said. “We and others around the world will continue to look to these talks to result in concrete progress,” Duguid said.Washington also wanted China to improve access to Tibetan areas for journalists, diplomats and other international observers, he said.In a written ministerial statement issued on 29 October, the UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said “The new round of talks are hugely important for the future of Tibet and provide the only forum in which there is any realistic possibility of progress to resolve the differences between the parties involved.”“His Holiness the Dalai Lama has made clear that he is not seeking separation or independence but seeking a resolution to the situation of Tibet within the framework of the Chinese constitution,” Miliband said.He said: “No government which is committed to promoting international respect for human rights can remain silent on the issue of Tibet, or disinterested in a solution to its problems.”“We have consistently made clear that we want to see the human rights of the Tibetan people respected, including through respect for their distinct culture, language, traditions and religions,” he said.Miliband further said: “We are also concerned at more immediate issues arising directly from the unrest of this spring, including the situation of those who remain in detention following the unrest, the increased constraints on religious activity, and the limitations on free access to the Tibetan Autonomous Region by diplomats and journalists. These issues reinforce long-held unease on the part of the Government about the underlying human rights situation in Tibet.”“Our interest is in long term stability, which can only be achieved through respect for human rights and greater autonomy for the Tibetans, ” he added.–The Tibet Bureau in Geneva contributed to this report.