The Chinese attacks on the Dalai Lama in recent months have been of an intensity and viciousness not seen for years. Among a host of accusations, he has been called a "false religious leader" and a "double dealer"; his Middle Way approach to finding a solution to the Tibet situation has meanwhile been roundly rejected, described as a "swindle". The new Communist Party secretary of Tibet, Zhang Qingli, who has been at the forefront of the new hardline approach, has described the battle against the Dalai Lama as a "fight to the death".
This latest round of vituperation from China is all the more surprising as it comes at a time when contact between the Dharamsala-based Tibetan government-in-exile and Beijing is, on the face of it, better than it has been for some time. Although the Chinese have never officially acknowledged the Dharamsala government's existence, five rounds of talks have been undertaken between the two sides since 2002, the latest taking place in February of this year. Moreover, in an effort to create the best possible environment for the discussions, the Tibetan side has been at its most conciliatory. For the first time, the Kashag – the executive body of the government-in-exile – has officially issued appeals to Tibetan exiles and their supporters to refrain from public demonstrations highlighting the cause of Tibet.
Why, then, when the Tibetans are officially doing everything possible to create what the Kashag's Prime Minister, Samdhong Rinpoche, calls a "conducive atmosphere", are the Chinese stepping up their campaign to vilify the Dalai Lama, and denouncing his overtures to find accommodation? More importantly, what does this imply for the future of a negotiated Tibetan settlement based on the Middle Way approach, which seeks autonomy for a Tibet that would remain within the People's Republic?
Let us go back to June 2005, soon after the fourth round of talks between representatives of the Dalai Lama and senior Chinese officials had concluded. Reporting on the status of these discussions to the Fourth World Parliamentarians' Convention on Tibet in Edinburgh, the Dalai Lama's envoy, Kelsang Gyaltsen, stated: "What is presently most disturbing and of great concern to us is that there have been no positive changes inside Tibet since the opening of direct contact with the Chinese leadership. On the contrary, repression inside Tibet has increased recently … nor have there been any clear signs that the Chinese leadership is genuinely interested in beginning an honest dialogue."