Date:18/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/18/stories/2008111860271000.htm

National

Tibetan exiles meet

Dharamsala (H.P.): A meeting of Tibetan exiles began here on Monday to decide an alternative course for the Tibetan movement with leaders blaming what they called “non-cooperative” attitude of China for the “failure” of the Dalai Lama’s ‘Middle Way’ approach.

The Dalai Lama “sincerely” fought for the middle way approach for decades but “due to non-cooperative attitude of the Chinese authorities to find a permanent solution to the vexed issue, it failed,” the speaker of the so-called Tibetan “parliament-in exile” Karma Choephel, said addressing the conclave. “Prime minister” of the “government-in-exile,” based here, Samdhong Rinpoche, inaugurated the conclave held amid tight security and attended by over 500 Tibetans from across the world.

The Dalai Lama, 73, himself stayed away from the November 17-22 special meeting called by him for the third time after 1951 and 1959 to decide the future course of the Tibetan movement. He had said that he did not wish to influence the delegates. — PTI