Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, says he has given up on efforts to bring greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule.
The Dalai Lama said Saturday that for many years he has pursued a "middle way" approach, in his indirect talks with Chinese officials, by advocating an autonomous status for Tibet short of full independence.
But the Buddhist monk told a crowd gathered in Dharamsala, India there has been no positive response from Chinese leaders.
In his first public appearance since undergoing gallbladder surgery earlier this month, the 73-year-old said, "as far as I'm concerned I have given up."
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate said it is now up to the Tibetan people to decide how to take the dialogue forward.
The Dalai Lama has called a special meeting of Tibetan exiles next month to discuss the future of the Tibet movement.
Representatives of Tibetan exile communities around the world will gather in Dharamsala, which is the headquarters of the Tibetan government-in-exile.
The Dalai Lama's unusually candid comments also come ahead of this week's visit to China by two of his envoys for another round of talks with Chinese officials.
Chinese officials have met several times with the Dalai Lama's envoys since 2002. But the Chinese government recognizes them only as his private representatives.
The Chinese government claims the Dalai Lama secretly supports Tibetan independence activities and has blamed him for masterminding a series of protests in Tibet earlier this year. The Dalai Lama has denied both accusations and asked the Chinese government to produce evidence.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
