German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday she was watching the violence in Tibet with concern, reported dpa. "Violence, irrespective which side it comes from, will not lead to solutions to the outstanding issues," Merkel, who maintains close ties with the Dalai Lama, said through her official spokesman. She called for both the demonstrators and the Chinese security forces to show restraint and to respect the rights of individuals. Merkel, whose talks with the Dalai Lama last year caused an extended chill in Germany's relations with China, repeated her call for the Chinese government to engage in direct talks with the exiled Tibetan religious leader. Germany remained committed to religious and cultural autonomy for the Himalayan territory but was equally committed to a one-China policy that rejected any separatist aims, she said through spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm.
