In the wake of another round of unproductive talks between Chinese officials and envoys of the Dalai Lama, the Australia Tibet Council is calling on the Prime Minister to provide urgent practical support for a peaceful resolution of the Tibet issue. The talks were described by Special Envoy Lodi Gyari as “one of the most difficult sessions” held so far.

The Australia Tibet Council has described tomorrow’s Olympic Torch relay through Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, as “the height of Olympic triumphalism”.

The Australia Tibet Council is disappointed that Mr. Rudd did not defer his decision on whether to attend the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony until after the next round of Tibet-China dialogue, expected to take place within weeks.

In the light of statements made by the Chinese Foreign Minister over night, the Australia Tibet Council is concerned that China will resist international calls for substantive dialogue on Tibet before the Olympics.

The Dalai Lama’s arrival in Sydney today comes at a politically more significant time than any of his five previous visits to Australia. It is less than two months before the Beijing Olympics and follows a period of unprecedented international concern over the human rights situation in Tibet

ATC has asked Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to raise the Tibetan situation with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and discuss ways July’s G8 summit in Japan can be used to help resolve the Tibet issue.