Issue ID: 95/02/27 24:00 GMT

Compiled by Thubten (Sam) Samdup

*Exiled Tibetans postpone march to Lhasa (PTI)

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Source: Press Trust of India news agency, New Delhi, Feb 24, 1995

At the request of the Dalai Lama, exiled Tibetans on 24th February

postponed their peace march from Delhi to Lhasa and will now march from the

government-in-exile headquarters in Dharamsala to Delhi instead, the Indian

news agency PTI reported. The march had been organized by the Tibetan Youth

Congress who had announced they were ready to risk "possible arrest, beating

or death" to march to Lhasa. The Chinese said that they would not allow any

marchers to set foot on territory held by them.

The Dalai Lama in a message to the marchers said that "any event like the

march is likely to be exploited by the hardliners in the Chinese Communist

Party hierarchy" . He added that "This would be counter-productive to our

endeavour to encourage a political environment conducive to a peaceful

resolution of the Tibetan issue". "I therefore feel that this is not the

right time for the peace march" , he said.

He also said that as India and Nepal had "sheltered and nourished and

cared for the exiled Tibetans... we should not cause any embarassment and

unnecessary inconvenience to friendly people" . Asserting that the Tibetan

freedom struggle had reached a critical juncture, the Dalai Lama said that

the move for a peace march at present would be "untimely" . He said he was

glad that marchers had positively considered his concern and decided to

postpone the march.

[Note: On 23rd February Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Chen Jian said

"China resolutely opposes the behaviour of any countries... which facilitate

activities of splitting China's territory and sovereignty." See SWB issue

FE/2237 section G item [10] for Zhongguo Xinwen She report of these remarks.]