From Spiegel Online:
The Dalai Lama makes such public appearances once or twice a month. The aim is to provide everyone who comes from Tibet the opportunity to be able to see him. He seems cheerful and relaxed — and doesn’t give the impression of a man whose time is running out. But he also knows that the chances of him ever returning to Lhasa are dwindling with every passing day.
No progress is being made in the negotiations with the Chinese on the future of Tibet. Both sides have simply “clarified their positions” over the past three years, meaning that the Dalai Lama doesn’t pursue independence any more. Now, as he told DER SPIEGEL in an interview, Beijing has signalled that it wants to continue the dialogue, but it hasn’t set any timeframe for doing so. [Full text]