The Dalai said he has “always been ready” to meet Chinese leaders, “in particular (President) Hu Jintao”, although he felt it was “not practical” to go to Beijing at this moment.

Offering talks with China for the second time in the days following violent protests in Tibet, the Dalai said he feared “a lot of casualties” from China’s crackdown.

Conditions
“We don’t know the exact numbers. Some say six, some say 100, but places have been cut off. I am really worried a lot of casualties have happened,” he  said. The spiritual leader’s comments came even as China all but ruled out talks with him despite mounting international pressure for a dialogue. “The Dalai Lama must give up his proposition for Tibetan independence, stop his splittist activities and recognise that Tibet is a part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legitimate government,” foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing. Dalai Lama’s comments also came a day after Pope Benedict XVI and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown added their voices to the growing international chorus in favour of negotiations between China and him.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has said that Beijing was willing to hold talks, but only after the Dalai Lama gave up his campaign for Tibetan independence.