Dharamsala, Jan 25 (IANS) Two envoys of Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, have left for Beijing for the ninth round of talks with the Chinese leadership, a Tibetan official said here Monday.
“Special envoys Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and Kelsang Gyaltsen, who participated in the last rounds of talks in China, will meet Chinese leaders Tuesday in Beijing to continue the dialogue process,” Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, secretary to the Dalai Lama, told IANS.

“The envoys are visiting China after a gap of 15 months. They are accompanied by Tenzin P. Atisha and Bhuchung K. Tsering, both members of Tibetan task force on negotiations,” he said after the two-day meeting of the task force, chaired by prime minister-in-exile Samdhong Rinpoche, to finalise the issues to be taken up with the Chinese.

Rinpoche also briefed the Dalai Lama about the forthcoming talks last week, he said.

During the eighth round of talks in November 2008, differences cropped up over the memorandum on genuine autonomy for the Tibetan people submitted by the exiles. The Chinese rejected it without providing any explanation.

The two sides have held eight rounds of talks since 2002 to try and find a solution to the Tibetan issue.

The task force was set up by the government-in-exile in 1999 to assist the Dalai Lama and his envoys in holding talks with the Chinese.

Over 100,000 Tibetans live in exile in India. The Dalai Lama fled Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1959 and came to India. His government-in-exile, headquartered in this Himachal Pradesh town, is not recognised by any country.

The Dalai Lama, 74, has been following a “middle-path” policy that demands “greater autonomy” for Tibetans, rather than complete independence.