Stockholm - China has "completely sealed off Tibet," which could be compared to a "giant prison," an envoy of the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, said in Sweden on Monday.

However the spirit of the Tibetan people was "unbroken," Kelsang Gyaltsen told reporters, although they had experienced the "harshest wave of repression since the days of the Cultural Revolution."

His visit to the Swedish Parliament Monday came on the eve of the 50th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule, which was followed by the Dalai Lama's exile.

The envoy has taken part in several rounds of talks with Chinese officials, so far without signs of progress.

"There is nothing we Tibetans can do but wait and see if there is a re-thinking on the part of the Chinese government," he said.

He maintained that a majority of Tibetans backed the Dalai Lama's stance to continue the dialogue with Beijing and seek autonomy within China through non-violent means but conceded there were groups critical of that approach.

"The Dalai Lama has always spoken against isolating China," Gyaltsen said when asked if calls for a trade embargo or economic sanctions were being considered by the exiled Tibetan government.

He said this approach was "not practical and feasible" and "not effective in bringing changes in China."

But he urged the international community, including the European Union, to do more to "monitor developments inside Tibet" and support a dialogue.

A "useful practical step" would be the appointment of a special EU coordinator on Tibetan affairs, Gyaltsen said. (dpa)