Dalai Lama's envoys travelling to Beijing for talks

Dharamshala (HP), Oct 30 (PTI) Two envoys of the Dalai Lama today travelled to the Chinese capital for talks over the Tibet issue amid fresh acrimony between the two sides after the exiled leader said he has "given up" on the dialogue and that Tibetans should rethink their strategy.
The special representatives-- Kasur Lodi Gyaltsen and Kelsang Gyaltsen -- accompanied by three senior assistants left for Beijing this morning for the eighth round of talks with the representatives of the Chinese leadership, Thubten Samphel, said an official of the Tibetan government-in-exile based here.

Tenzin Takhla, secretary and spokesman of the Dalai Lama here, told PTI that the talks will take place at Beijing tomorrow but the duration will depend on "positive" outcome of the deliberations.

This will be the third round of talks this year after anti-China protests erupted in Tibet and other parts of the world ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

Envoys, who had been representing the noble laureate since the start of the talks between the two sides in 2002, had their final briefing from Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche, Samphel said without elaborating.

The two sides have had seven rounds of talks with Chinese officials on Tibet's future as well as on the possible return of the Dalai Lama to his homeland, from where he fled to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Beijing's rule.

The Dalai Lama had last week said that he has "given up" on efforts to convince China to allow greater autonomy for Tibet under its rule and called a six-day special meeting of Tibetans at Macleodganj starting November 17 to discuss other options for resolving the vexed issue. PTI

Dalai Lama says he has given up on China talks

DHARMSALA, India (AP) — The Dalai Lama said Saturday he has given up on efforts to convince Beijing to allow greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule.
The Tibetan spiritual leader said he would now ask the Tibetan people to decide how to take the dialogue forward.
China has repeatedly accused the Dalai Lama of leading a campaign to split Tibet from the rest of the country. The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for the Himalayan region to protect its unique Buddhist culture — a policy he calls the "middle way."
"I have been sincerely pursuing the middle way approach in dealing with China for a long time now but there hasn't been any positive response from the Chinese side," he said in Tibetan at a public function Saturday in Dharmsala, the north Indian town that is home to Tibet's government-in-exile.
"As far as I'm concerned I have given up," he said in an unusually blunt statement.
"The issue of Tibet is not the issue of the Dalai Lama alone. It is the issue of 6 million Tibetans. I have asked the Tibetan government-in-exile, as a true democracy in exile, to decide in consultation with the Tibetan people the future course of action," the Dalai Lama said.
His speech was translated by his spokesman, Tenzin Takhla.
The spiritual leader's comments come ahead of a new round of talks between his envoys and Chinese government officials at the end of October. Those talks are still on track, according to Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, another spokesman for the Dalai Lama.
Most Tibetans have supported the Dalai Lama's push for autonomy for the region. The Tibetan Youth Congress is the only major activist group that is advocating full independence for Tibet.
Beijing insists Tibet has belonged to China for centuries. Many Tibetans, however, say the region was effectively an independent nation until Chinese Communist troops invaded in 1950.
Phone calls to China's United Front Work Department, the Communist Party agency that handles contacts with the Dalai Lama, rang unanswered Saturday.
The Dalai Lama has been living in Dharmsala since fleeing Tibet after an unsuccessful uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

Dalai Lama reaches Dharamsala after surgery

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has reached this north India hill town from New Delhi where he spent a few days after undergoing gall bladder surgery, his aide said on Tuesday.
"He (the Dalai Lama) reached his official palace on Monday after spending 13 days in the capital," Tenzin Taklha, a senior aide to the exiled leader, told IANS.
"The spiritual guru is in good health... will be back to routine affairs in a few days," he said.
He said the Nobel Peace laureate would visit Japan next month.
Thousands of Tibetans and their supporters carrying traditional scarves, incense sticks and bouquets welcomed the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.
The Dalai Lama, 73, was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital October 9, where he underwent a gall bladder surgery the next day. He left the hospital October 16.
In August, the Dalai Lama was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai twice with abdominal discomfort.
The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959 after a Chinese army crackdown. His government-in-exile, which is not recognised by any country, is based in Dharamsala.

Eight monks imprisoned for bomb blast in Tibet: judge

BEIJING (AFP) — Eight monks convicted of staging a bomb attack in Tibet at the height of anti-China protests nearly seven months ago have been sentenced to prison, one of them for life, a judge said Wednesday.
"They were convicted of causing the explosion at the government building of Xiangpi township," Zhang Weilai, a judge at Chamdo Intermediate Court in the east Tibetan prefecture where the blast took place, told AFP by phone.
Xiangpi, or Gyanbe in Tibetan, is over 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) east of Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, where violence erupted on March 14 following four days of peaceful protests against Chinese rule of the Himalayan region.
Tibetan monks were heavily involved in the unrest that quickly spread to other areas of Tibet such as Xiangpi and neighbouring Tibetan-populated regions of China.
The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, says over 400 Tibetans died in a government crackdown in Lhasa alone, but China has reported police killing just one "insurgent" and blames Tibetan "rioters" for the deaths of 21 people.
Zhang said one of the monks was sentenced to life in jail, but declined to say what jail terms the other seven received.
Other than saying the monks did not appeal, Zhang gave no other details.
The London-based Free Tibet group, citing an unnamed source, said two monks had been given life sentences, and the six others were jailed for between five and 15 years.
The group said the monks were aged between 19 and 31.
China's state-run press had previously reported that the monks from Thangkya monastery, or Tongxia in Chinese, had confessed to using home-made explosives to bomb a government building on March 23.
However the Chinese press has given no details on the extent of the damage to the building, or whether anyone was injured or killed.
Free Tibet said the monks had been denied access to family and legal counsel after being detained.
But China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday insisted the case had been handled according to the law.
"Anyone that engages in illegal criminal activities in China, regardless of what nationality they are, or what religion they follow, must be dealt with according to the law," Qin told reporters when asked about the case.

Dalai Lama to leave Indian hospital after surgery

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Dalai Lama was recovering Monday from surgery to remove gallstones and was likely to leave a New Delhi hospital early this week, a senior aide said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader underwent surgery on Friday. He had gallstones for more than a decade.

"He walked around in the hospital and didn't feel any pain," said Tenzin Takhla, the Dalai Lama's spokesman.

In August, the Dalai Lama was admitted to a Mumbai hospital and underwent tests for abdominal discomfort. His aides said then he was in good condition but doctors advised him to cancel a planned trip to Europe and rest, saying he was suffering from exhaustion.

The Dalai Lama normally spends several months a year traveling overseas to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetan struggle for more freedom under Chinese rule. He lives in the north Indian hill town of Dharmsala, where he set up his government-in-exile after fleeing Tibet following a failed 1959 uprising against the Chinese.

Following March protests in Tibet, China has stepped up its campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, accusing him of leading a campaign to split Tibet from the rest of the country.

The Dalai Lama has denied the allegations, saying he is only seeking greater autonomy for the Himalayan region to protect its unique Buddhist culture.

Dalai Lama's condition stable, to be discharged by Tuesday

New Delhi (PTI): The condition of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama who had undergone a surgery for gall bladder stones, remained stable on Sunday.
"The vital parametres of his Holiness were stable and he is recovering well," said Tenzin Takhla, a spokesperson of the Tibetan government in exile.
The 73-year-old Nobel laureate was admitted to Sir Gangaram hospital on Friday after he complained of severe abdominal pain.
The temporal head of Tibetans underwent a laproscopic surgery to remove stones in the gallbladder.
The Buddhist leader had arrived in Delhi earlier this week for a routine medical check-up.
He had undergone treatment earlier at Mumbai's Lilavati hospital for abdominal discomfort.

Dalai Lama on the mend

NEW DELHI: The Dalai Lama was recovering well after an operation to remove a gallstone, a spokesman said yesterday.

Earlier, the spokesman had insisted the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader was having only "routine tests" in India.

Chhime R. Chhoekyapa said the operation was a "simple routine procedure".

The Dalai Lama, 73, was sent to hospital in New Delhi on Thursday, days after a medical check-up had cleared him to resume foreign travel.

In August, he was admitted to a Mumbai hospital for tests on abdominal discomfort.

Doctors advised him to cancel a trip to Europe and rest, saying the Buddhist monk was suffering from exhaustion.

The Dalai Lama spends several months a year travelling around the world to teach Buddhism and highlight the Tibetans' struggle for greater freedom in China.

A senior doctor at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi said the 1989 Nobel peace prize winner had been admitted over a chest complaint.

"His Holiness, who was discharged from Lilawati Hospital in Mumbai on September 1, was advised to visit our hospital for follow-up checks, and he was admitted when he complained of severe abdominal pain."

The Dalai Lama had been scheduled to return to his home in exile, Dharamshala, yesterday but a spokesman said he would remain in hospital at least until today.

The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule inTibet.

AFP

9 killed when 2 strong quakes hit Tibet

BEIJING (AP) — Two earthquakes jolted the capital of Tibet and surrounding areas, killing at least nine people and collapsing hundreds of houses, China's state news agency said Tuesday. Rescuers rushed in to try to save people buried in the rubble.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Monday's first quake measured magnitude 6.6 and struck at 4:30 p.m. 50 miles west of Lhasa, more than 1,600 miles from Beijing.

The second temblor measuring magnitude 5.1 hit about 15 minutes later, some 60 miles west of the Tibetan capital, it said.

Earlier reports from China's official Xinhua News Agency said at least 30 people died, but the agency revised the death toll to nine on Tuesday, saying the previous figure was inaccurate as it came from "unauthoritative sources" and required verification.

Hundreds of houses collapsed in Gedar township near the epicenter in Dangxiong County, and traffic and telecommunications were cut. Nineteen people were injured, Xinhua said, citing Hao Peng, deputy chairman of the Tibetan regional government.

An unknown number of people were trapped, and soldiers and rescue workers were dispatched to the site, Xinhua said.

Deaths also were reported in a neighboring county, Xinhua said, but no figures were available. The Lhasa airport and the Qinghai-Tibet railway — which stretches from western Qinghai province to Tibet — continued to operate, the agency said.

China says Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, although many Tibetans say their homeland was essentially independent for most of that time. On March 14, monk-led protests against Chinese rule turned violent in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, and ethnic Chinese residents were attacked.

China's State Seismological Bureau said the initial temblor was centered in Dangxiong county, which has a population of about 42,000 people, mostly herdsmen.

"I felt the building shaking a little bit and saw a bench overturn," said Ge San, an employee at the Baima Hotel in Dangxiong, who was sitting in a room with about five other employees.

"The shaking was not heavy. We stayed in the room and were not frightened," she said, adding that all the hotel's guests remained on the premises.

In Lhasa, employees at the Civil Affairs Bureau rushed out of their building when the tremors began but returned soon after, said an official who refused to give her name.

"I was in my office on the third floor," she said. "The shaking lasted for about half a minute."

Xinhua said that so far, none of the city's landmarks, such as the Potala Palace, appeared to be damaged.

One of the agency's reporters in Lhasa said shops remained open and there was no panic on the streets.

Authorities said seismologists and officials were sent to the area and were assessing the situation.

China's far west is fairly earthquake prone. On Sunday, a magnitude-5.7 earthquake shook the Xinjiang region, which borders Tibet, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which also suffered a 6.6-magnitude quake hours later. At least 60 people were killed when a village collapsed.

Tibet, a sparsely populated region, has been hit by several moderate earthquakes in recent weeks.

Last month, a magnitude 6 quake struck near its border with Nepal but there were no reports of damage or casualties.

In late August, the USGS reported that an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 hit the region. Chinese state media said schools, a hydropower station and 622 homes were damaged and about 2,000 people forced to seek temporary shelter.

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake on May 12 devastated parts of Sichuan province, just east of Tibet, killing 70,000 people and leaving 5 million homeless.

Dalai Lama to undergo medical check-up

By Abhishek Madhukar

DHARAMSALA, India (Reuters) - The Dalai Lama will have a medical check next week, a senior aide said on Saturday, calling it a routine follow-up after he was admitted to hospital with abdominal discomfort in August.

The 73-year-old exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has since recovered fully and remains cheerful, but doctors have advised him to cut down on long travels and rest more.

He will travel to New Delhi for a check-up on Monday.

"His health is fine. He's going down for a follow-up medical check up after the pain he had suffered in August," Tenzin Taklha told Reuters.

The Dalai Lama was admitted to a hospital in Mumbai with "abdominal discomfort" in August. He was released a few days later after doctors said there was no cause for concern.

A smiling Dalai Lama left the hospital for Dharamsala, the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India, where he has spent most of his time resting, discussing the situation in Tibet and teaching.

U.S. President George W. Bush called to inquire about his health last month after the Nobel Peace Prize winner cancelled his visits to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

At his public discourses, the Dalai Lama has routinely spoken for three to four hours, cheerfully answering questions from followers and admirers. He just completed eight days of teachings. Every thing went well," Taklha said.

The Dalai Lama has called a special meeting of Tibetan exiles in November or December to discuss this year's political unrest in Tibet and the future of the Tibetan movement.