Tibetan monks’ spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, said the next meeting between China and his representatives is scheduled to be in the second week of June. The Dalai Lama said he would be happy to attend the Beijing Olympics if the world would take this opportunity to remind the Chinese government about the autonomy of Tibet.

The Bhuddist spiritual leader, 73, explained in several interviews that Tibet’s autonomy, a controversial issue in China-Tibet talks, doesn’t mean independence and separation. Education, environment and religious work should be handled by Tibetans themselves, explained the Dalai Lama in an interview with the BBC, adding that he thought the Chinese leardership “should take a more liberal way, a more open way, to look towards Tibet.”

The Dalai Lama has denied the accusations of acting to separate the homeland and “orchestrating the inciting of violent acts.” China has blamed Tibet for a deadly March 14 riot in regional capital Lhasa and for other protests in Tibetan areas of China.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said he wants the same rights of thought, expression, assemble and religion for China’s minorities groups which should be applied, once they’ve been guaranteed by the constitution.

On the other hand, China urged Tibetans not to disrupt the Olympic torch relay when it passes through Tibet on its way to Beijing.  

“But as far as we're concerned, if the Dalai really wants to do something positive for the motherland and for the Olympics, he must take concrete actions, really stop activities to split the motherland, stop plotting and whipping up violence, and stop activities to damage the Olympics,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang was quoted as saying by Reuters.