By Mure Dickie in Beijing 2008-11-11
China branded the Dalai Lama a would-be ethnic cleanser yesterday as it rejected his calls for “genuine autonomy” in Tibet.
A senior Communist party official denounced the Himalayan region's exiled spiritual leader as a scheming “splittist”.
His comments will fuel frustration among exiled Tibetans before a potentially pivotal gathering of leading members of the diaspora in India this month.
Zhu Weiqun, vice-minister of the Communist party's United Front Work Department, said the Dalai Lama's representatives were to blame for the failure last week of the latest talks between the two sides.
However, Mr Zhu made clear that China had no interest in engaging with the Dalai Lama's call for “genuine autonomy” for Tibetans in China, which he called an attempt to promote “ethnic splitting”.
“We merely talked about how the Dalai Lama should completely give up his splittist opinions and actions and strive for the understanding of the central authorities and all Chinese people so as to solve the issue concerning his own prospects,” he said, adding that the globetrotting monk harboured hostile intentions.
“If he really were to gain power one day, he would without compunction or sympathy carry out ethnic discrimination, apartheid and ethnic cleansing,” Mr Zhu said.
Tibet is formally labelled an “autonomous region” but remains under the tight control of Beijing.
Police have used harsh measures to suppress political dissent or displays of loyalty to the Dalai Lama.
The Dalai Lama has himself suggested that his attempts to engage China have been a failure, in spite of his repeated insistence that he is not seeking independence for Tibet.
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