Hong Kong Paper: Shenzhen Meeting Depends on Dalai Lama’s Action

Text of report by Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao website on 5 May

[Editorial: "Whether There Will Be Results From the Dialogue Depends on Dalai's Action"]

At the Dalai side’s repeated requests, officials in charge of the relevant central department Zhu Weiqun and Sita met with Dalai’s personal representative Jiari Luodi Gesangjianzan in Shenzhen on 4 May. Chinese President Hu Jintao, in a collective interview with 16 Japanese media stationed in Beijing on the same day, explicitly expressed the “hope for positive results from the current meeting,” thereby fully demonstrating the central government’s sincerity and pragmatism and displaying the expectations and blessing.

From consultation meetings to benign interactions, joint efforts of the sides are needed on the Tibet question. Despite quite a few obstacles, the central government has held six consultation meetings with Dalai’s personal representatives since 2002. The “14 March” serious incident of violent crime in Lhasa has added new obstacles to continue consultation meetings. However, the central authorities arranged the latest consultation meeting with the greatest patience and sincerity.

We have noticed a Dalai’s previous statement, which declared: [He] does not seek Tibet’s “independence,” did not instigate the recent violent activities in Tibet, and supports the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This “sworn” confession can confuse Western personalities to a considerable degree. However, the 1.3 billion Chinese people would rather “listen to his words and observe his acts,” which is the Oriental wisdom as well as scientific spirit and rational attitude.

The central government’s policy towards Dalai is consistent and unequivocal, and the door to dialogue is always open. There are three keys to the door of dialogue, that is, the Dalai side must take concrete actions to show that it stops activities to split the motherland, to plot and provoke violence, and to sabotage the Beijing Olympics. This is the condition for talks and the bottom line for consultation; and this conforms to the historical fact as well as the political mainstream of the contemporary world. Looking around the world, no country has so far believed in the basis for Tibet’s “independence” or recognized Dalai’s “government in exile.” On the aforesaid three major issues of principle, there is no so- called “middle-of-the-road line” whatsoever for Dalai.

Dalai’s two representatives issued a statement before their departure for Shenzhen, saying that at the meeting they hoped to “express deep concerns for Beijing’s way of handling demonstrations in Tibet,”"put forwards proposals for bringing peace to the local people,” and so on and so forth. As a matter of fact, the “14 March” riotous incident in Lhasa is the largest in scale in two decades. If the “Tibet independence” elements did not stir up the “beating, smashing, and looting,” Tibet, which practiced the system of regional autonomy of minority nationalities over the years, had enjoyed social stability, growing economy, and harmonious coexistence between the Tibetan and Han nationalities, which could have been maintained for a long time to come. The crux lies in that Dalai and his followers should not time and again become the “source of chaos” in Tibet.

Since Dalai has repeatedly said that he does not seek Tibet’s “independence,” the topic of the consultation meeting with the central government should be focused on harmony and development in Tibet. Tibet’s social advancement and economic development in the past more than half century are obvious to all. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway, reputed as the world’s longest and closest-to-heaven railway, was officially open to traffic on 1 July 2006, pushing the wheels forward on the long road to heaven. The practice has proved that China’s system of regional autonomy of minority nationalities and policy towards minority nationalities are in line with China’s national conditions and have truly benefited the people of all ethnic groups. The Dalai side must have the courage to face the reality.

On the same day as officials of the relevant central department held consultation meeting with Dalai’s personal representative, the Beijing Olympic torch relay, which had been disrupted by the troublemaking of “Tibet independence” elements along the way, arrived smoothly in Sanya, the first city of torch relay in the mainland. As the green mountains cannot stop the river, it continues to flow eastward. Amidst the peaceful and joyous atmosphere of the Beijing Olympic torch relay all over the Divine Land, “next-stage” arrangements for the consultation meeting on the Tibet issue are actively under way. The two sides have agreed further meetings. This is the first step for the Dalai side to leave confrontation and violence behind, as well as the precious opportunity for the Dalai side to communicate and reconcile with the central government.

Originally published by Ta Kung Pao website, Hong Kong, in Chinese 5 May 08.

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