China hosted 'frank' Tibet talks

China has blamed the Dalai Lama for inciting unrest in Tibetan areas

A spokesman for the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says talks with Chinese officials last week were "open and frank".

In his first remarks since the talks, Lodi Gyari said both sides had "strong and divergent views" on the causes of violence in Tibet in March.

The envoy said a date for further talks would be announced soon.

China has accused the Dalai Lama of instigating the violence and of seeking to undermine the Beijing Olympics.

Two aides of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader travelled to Beijing for the talks on Sunday.

It was the first contact between the two sides since anti-China protests in Tibet in March turned violent.

Release prisoners

In a written statement, Mr Gyari said each side had exchanged "concrete proposals which can be part of a future agenda".

But he categorically rejected Chinese accusations that the Dalai Lama had instigated unrest and demonstrations in Tibet.

Instead, he described the events in Tibet as the inescapable consequences of decades of wrong official policy.

"The task at hand is to address the legitimate concerns of the Tibetan people in a realistic and constructive way," he said.

He said the Tibetan side had asked for the release of prisoners and access to medical treatment for the injured.

Mr Gyari also called for an end to China's "patriotic re-education" campaign, which he said was deeply resented by the Tibetan people.