The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Dharamshala

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has been pushing for talks with China on the future of his homeland for years but now is making clear they must be "serious discussions".

Returning to this northern Indian hill town from a two-week trip to the United States where he met followers, he welcomed Beijing's promise on Friday to renew dialogue, saying "basically talk is good." But anything other than "serious discussions" would be fruitless, he quickly added, a day after Chinese state media said government officials would meet soon with an envoy of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

A meeting solely to appease international concern ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August would be "meaningless," he said, speaking in Dharamshala, which has been his base since he fled his homeland in 1959 after an abortive uprising.

He said he wanted "a thorough discussion" of the problems in Tibet to find out "what is the cause of this problem and how to solve it." The Buddhist "god-king" has repeatedly reached out to Beijing seeking dialogue and cultural autonomy for his homeland. But even on Saturday after making its talks offer, China's state media was denouncing the spiritual icon, accusing him of conspiring to turn world opinion against China. The "Tibet problem" has become the tool of the Dalai Lama and his supporters to spread the "false rumour" that China oppresses Tibetan Buddhism, the People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's main mouthpiece, said.

Beijing has consistently denounced the Dalai Lama as a "splittist" bent on breaking Tibet away from China.

The spiritual leader has denied the charge, saying he wants "cultural autonomy" rather than independence for Tibet despite escalating his criticism of China recently, accusing it of "unimaginable" rights violations.

The 72-year-old Nobel peace laureate-considered by many to be the world's greatest moral force for non-violence-has continued to appeal to his fellow Tibetans to use peaceful means to achieve their ends as the world's spotlight falls on China ahead of the Olympics. The Dalai Lama says he espouses a "common human religion of kindness" that extends to "all members of the human family."

Clad in the maroon robes of a monk, he is beloved for his contagious laugh and engaging grin, set off by oversized glasses.

He has been a powerful rallying point for the six million Tibetans living in exile or in their homeland, while also being a friend to kings, politicians, celebrities and the poor.

The Dalai Lama fled Tibet across the Himalayas after the abortive uprising and was given sanctuary by the Indian government in Dharamshala, where he set up a government-in-exile.