Tibet ? Several hundred Tibetan exile leaders gathered today in northern India for a landmark meeting to discuss the direction of the movement that has struggled for decades to win autonomy from China.

The weeklong meeting in Dharmsala was called by the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader.

Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile, called for an “open and frank discussion” and new ideas following the repeated failure of talks with China.

He pledged in an opening speech that any decision about a new path needs to have “the clear mandate of the people.”

He also cautioned that the meeting may not lead to a new approach with China, saying, “a change in policy need not come from this meeting.”

The Dalai Lama was not expected to attend any of the meetings.