World Leaders Urge China for substantive talks on Tibet

Thursdy, 27 March 2008, 12:10 a.m.

Dharamshala: Expressing
concern over Beijing’s crackdown in Tibet, US President George W Bush
on Wednesday urged Hu Jintao, the Chinese president to engage in
substantive talks with envoys of His Holiness the Dalai Lama towards
bringing a peaceful solution to the unrest in Tibet.

President Bush also called on the Chinese president to allow access to journalists and diplomats into Tibet.

Earlier, some European countries including Germany, France and
Britain renewed calls for China to hold talks with His Holiness the
Dalai Lama.

On 25 March, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa
called on United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit
Tibet to investigate into the developments there and to report to the
international community, according to US-based rights group
International Campaign for Tibet

In his statement, Archbishop Tutu expressed solidarity with His
Holiness the Dalai Lama and asked China “to enter into substantive and
meaningful dialogue with this man of peace.”