World Tibet Network News Sunday, March 01, 1998

BEIJING, March 1 (AFP) - China on Sunday dismissed a longstanding offer from the Dalai Lama for talks over the future of Tibet, saying the spiritual leader showed his true colours by refusing a 1989 offer from Beijing.

"The 14th Dalai Lama suspended his contact with the central government when he thought the international situation was in his favour and now demands negotiations when he thinks the situation is moving against him," Xinhua said.

"The 14th Dalai Lama has never sought genuine talks with the central government of China over the last ten years," the news agency said in a commentary based on an article in "China's Tibet" magazine.

The Dalai Lama fled from Tibet to India in 1959 after an abortive uprising against Beijing's rule.

In 1989, Beijing says it contacted him and asked him to return to China for the funeral of the second-highest spiritual leader, the Panchen Lama, who remained in China after the uprising.

But the Dalai Lama apparently refused.

Later that year he went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and has continued to highlight the plight of the Tibetan people, calling regularly for a resumption of talks with Beijing over the region's future.

These have never materialised because of China's suspicions that he is attempting to create an independent Tibet.

"When the 14th Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, he misjudged the situation and began predicting that China was likely to collapse after the political turmoil of 1989," Xinhua said.

"Against his expectations, China remains stable and in view of this the 14th Dalai Lama has proposed the resuming of contacts with the central government," it added.

"China enjoys a stable situation and rapid economic growth. It has improved relations with the United States and some countries in the European Union have readjusted their policies towards China," the news agency said.

"Under this situation the 14th Dalai Lama worries that his interests will be neglected." it said, adding that his agents could no longer incite riots in Tibet because of the improving economic sitation there.