Dalai Lama marks his 73rd birthday

DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP)  Exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama marked his 73rd birthday Sunday with a small function, but with the mood dampened by a lack of progress in talks with China.

Officials said the usual cultural performances were not held this year in Dharamshala, a northern Indian hill town and home to the exiled Tibetan government, due to the unrest in Tibet earlier this year.

There was a small temple gathering attended by the prime minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche, while the Dalai Lama held a low-key function for relatives and Tibetan officials at his home, aides said.

Rinpoche said the Tibetan exile community was disappointed by the lack of any progress during talks between the Dalai Lama's envoys and China earlier in the week.

"The seventh round of talks has not produced any tangible results. The Chinese selfish attitude is only adding to the existing doubts about their insincerity for future talks," Rinpoche said.

He also voiced regret that China had repeated allegations that the Dalai Lama incited the riots in Tibet in March in order to sabotage the Beijing Olympics.

"The Dalai Lama is a messenger of peace and non-violence. He follows a middle path policy, which does not seek separation of Tibet from China and does support the Beijing Olympics," Rinpoche said.

He also used the function to call for China to stop the alleged arrests and torture of Tibetans and the "re-education and getting forced confessions" from Buddhist monks.

The Dalai Lama, who has said he opposes Tibetan independence, has called for "real and meaningful autonomy" for the region and an end to what he has said are widespread human rights violations against his people.

Rinpoche said the next talks with Beijing were scheduled for October.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of fomenting unrest in the Tibetan region that erupted on March 14 after four days of peaceful protests against Chinese rule.

The Tibetan government-in-exile says 203 Tibetans were killed and about 1,000 hurt in China's crackdown.

Beijing insists that only one Tibetan was killed, and has in turn accused the "rioters" of killing 21 people.

China has ruled Tibet since 1951, a year after sending troops in to "liberate" the region.