Dalai Lama warns of fresh violence

LONDON (AFP) - The Dalai Lama warned Friday in an interview with AFP of renewed violence in Tibet if dialogue between his envoys and Beijing breaks down.

Clad in crimson robes at his London hotel, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader said he believed a new round of long-running talks with Beijing officials would take place in the Chinese capital on June 11.

But the ageing Buddhist monk said it was unclear if China was simply maintaining dialogue in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, and if it would continue discussions after the August 8-24 Games.

If they did collapse, "demonstrations I think will happen, from our past experience. Serious demonstrations, not only demonstrations but also involving violence," the 72-year-old said.

Those previous flare-ups had resulted in "serious violence," he said, including the deadly unrest in March. "Very sad, immense suffering. And also the Chinese side, a lot of casualties."

He was speaking in between talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his departure for Nottingham in central England, nearly half way through an 11-day visit to Britain as part of a five-nation tour.

In his usual relaxed manner punctuated with laughter, the Buddhist monk said his first meeting with Brown had been "very good", with the premier showing "genuine concerns" for the situation in Tibet.

Brown reiterated that talks with Beijing should take place with the Dalai Lama's side not seeking independence, not inciting violence, and supporting the Olympics, sentiments with which the monk fully agreed.

The British government was "willing to help" facilitate "meaningful or constructive dialogue", the Dalai Lama said.

But he warned that sporadic unrest would not die down unless China tackled Tibetan grievances "realistically".

Explaining how tensions had spilled over in the 1950s and the 1980s before the March unrest, he said: "The generation changes but the resentment still remains: from grandfather to father, from father to children.

"Now there are grandchildren. Unless the Chinese government tackle it realistically, this problem will otherwise remain."

He said the key question was whether Beijing would continue with talks after the Olympic Games in the Chinese capital from August 8-24.

The last talks took place in the Chinese city of Shenzhen at the start of May.

The Tibetan government-in-exile, based in Dharamsala in northern India, said those talks were intended as informal and were not on a par with six earlier rounds that started in late 2002 and broke off in 2007.

The Dalai Lama said Chinese President Hu Jintao had shown he was taking the negotiations seriously - with world opinion and common sense suggesting the talks should continue.

"The president himself expressed is serious, these meetings," he said. "Now, are they (the Chinese) serious up to the Olympics or (interested in) the real issue? That's not yet to know.

"So after this (seventh) meeting and mainly after the Olympics, then we'll know."

Reiterating his pacifist principles, the 14th Dalai Lama repeated his pledge to step down if Tibetan demonstrations spilled over. "If violence becomes out of control, then there's no other choice except to resign," he said.

"My choice is complete retirement. Resign."

The spiritual leader said that though he felt the Chinese government had softened its line towards him, it was still easier to "blame the Dalai Lama" and brand him a separatist.

"It is not the policy of the government of South Africa but acts of thuggery.... What is happening now in South Africa at a time when we are trying to unite the continent is really an anti-climax," added Kikwete.

Also present in the summit were Nigerian President Umaru Yar'adua, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, all members of a panel overseeing plans to have and AU government.