Dalai Lama says talks must be meaningful

The Dalai Lama welcomed China’s offer to meet his envoy but said the two sides needed a meaningful discussion about how to resolve the problems that triggered riots in the Tibetan capital last month.

The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said Saturday that a meeting would be futile if it turned out to be only a public relations exercise by Chinese officials.

“We need to have serious talks about how to reduce the Tibetan resentment within Tibet,” the Dalai Lama said.

“But just mere meeting some of my men in order to show the world that they are having dialogue, then it is meaningless,” he told reporters after returning to his headquarters in the town of Dharmsala in northern India from a two-week trip to the United States.

Chinese state news media launched fresh attacks Saturday against the Tibetan spiritual leader, blaming him for the recent unrest among Tibetans that threatens to tarnish this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing.

The People’s Daily printed an editorial attacking “the Dalai clique” for seeking support from Western countries and ignoring “the efforts and achievements made by China after shaking off serfdom and poverty in Tibet.”

Last month, anti-government riots broke out in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, sparking a harsh crackdown.

Beijing says 22 people died in the violence, while Tibet supporters say many times that number have been killed in protests and the crackdown by Chinese forces.