Tibet envoys say China talks a failure

AFP – Tibetan monks offer prayers in Dharamshala. Envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, … DHARAMSHALA,

Sun Nov 16, 6:30 pm ET

India (AFP) – Envoys of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, said on Sunday that their most recent talks with China had failed, as the Tibet movement gathered in north India to assess its future.

The talks had confirmed "the failure on the part of the Chinese government to seriously respond to the efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama over decades," Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, one of the envoys, said.

They released a memorandum that was delivered to China at the talks earlier this month outlining their belief that Tibetans' demands were possible within the Chinese constitution.

"The Dalai Lama felt confident that the basic needs of Tibetan nationality can be met through genuine autonomy within the People's Republic of China," it said.

He had made a "clear and unambiguous" commitment to seek a future for the Tibetan people within China, it added.

China had earlier said the two days of talks had made no progress.

The Dalai Lama has sought "meaningful autonomy" for Tibet since he fled his homeland following a failed uprising in 1959 against Chinese rule, nine years after Chinese troops invaded the region.

China claims he actually seeks full independence -- a "separatist" action which it opposes.

A special meeting of leading Tibetans opens at the exiles' base in Dharamshala on Monday to debate the future direction of the community.

The Dalai Lama recently admitted his push for greater autonomy had ended without success, and urged the meeting to discuss all options on how to conduct policy towards Beijing.