The Dalai Lama on Thursday said that talks between his envoys and China on the festering Tibet issue may resume next month as he reminded Beijing that "stability must come from the heart, not a gun."
The Dalai, now on a visit to Australia to deliver a series of meditation lectures, said he hoped that a new round of talks between his envoys and Chinese officials would take place "maybe next month".
Representatives of the Tibetan government-in-exile met with Chinese officials in early May in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and held inconclusive talks on the Tibet issue, weeks after the worst anti-government riots erupted in mid-March in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
The two sides had agreed to meet again but did not specify any date. The Dalai Lama said he backed China's quest for a stable and harmonious society, but he also renewed his call for Tibet to be granted meaningful autonomy.
"Stability must come from the heart, not a gun," he said. The Tibet violence spread to neighbouring provinces in which at least 22 people were killed. The clashes fuelled anger over China's rule in Tibet and the Olympic torch relay became the target of Tibetan pro-independence protests in Paris, London, San Francisco and other cities that threatened to cast a shadow over the Beijing Games in August.
At a press conference in Sydney, the 72-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader also urged Tibetans not to hamper the Beijing Olympic torch relay when it passes through the restive Himalayan region.
"We have fully supported the Olympic Games right from the beginning. The torch is part of that," he said.
"Over 1 billion Chinese brothers and sisters feel really proud of that. We should respect that," he said, adding that "I don't think there will be any trouble" when the torch relay passes through. The Olympic torch relay is due in Tibet from June 19 to 21. China blames the Dalai Lama for the recent Tibetan unrest, saying it was part of a campaign to split the region from the rest of the country. The Dalai Lama has denied these charges, saying he wants a meaningful autonomy for his people under China's rule, not independence.