Tibetan envoy says China told to free Tibetan prisoners

AFP - Thursday, May 8 07:04 am

DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) - Dalai Lama envoys told Beijing to release Tibetan prisoners and end 'reeducation' during weekend talks with Chinese officials over unrest in Tibet, one of the envoys said Thursday.

Despite the specific requests by the Dalai Lama envoys, an agreement was reached between the two sides to hold more talks at a date to be decided, representative Lodi Gyari said in a statement.

"We have called for the release of prisoners, to allow those injured to be given proper medical treatment and give unfettered access to visitors, including the media," Gyari said.

"We have also called for an end to the 'patriotic re-education' campaign which is deeply resented by the Tibetan people," Gyari said.

The Chinese government offered to hold the talks following sustained pressure from international leaders to reopen negotiations amid seven weeks of deadly unrest in Tibet and other parts of China with Tibetan populations.

Tibetans have risen up in protest against what they say has been nearly six decades of repression living under Chinese rule in the Himalayan region.

China's crackdown on the unrest has sparked international concern and protests that have targeted the Olympic torch relay and marred the runup to the Beijing Olympics.

The talks, held on Sunday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, were the first meeting between the two sides in more than a year.

"Despite major differences on important issues, both sides demonstrated a willingness to seek common approaches ... each side made some concrete proposals which can be part of the future agenda," the statement said.

"As a result, an understanding was reached to continue the formal round of discussions. A date for the seventh round will be finalised soon after mutual consultation."

The two Dalai Lama envoys arrived back in India on Tuesday to brief the spiritual leader in Dharamshala, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile about the talks.

China on Tuesday laid out ground rules for further talks with the Dalai Lama, saying he must first stop pushing for Tibetan independence and provoking deadly unrest in his homeland. China's foreign ministry spokesman also told reporters that Beijing's contact with the Dalai Lama was sincere.

The unrest began with monks leading peaceful protests on March 10 in Tibet's capital, Lhasa, to mark the anniversary of the 1959 uprising.

The protests erupted into widespread rioting in Lhasa on March 14, then spread to other areas of western China with Tibetan populations.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says 203 Tibetans have been killed and about 1,000 hurt in the Chinese military and police crackdown on the unrest.

China denies these accusations, saying its forces have acted with restraint, and in turn charges Tibetan "rioters" and "insurgents" with killing 21 people.

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