BBC Summary of World Broadcasts

September 11, 1995, Monday

SECTION: Part 3 Asia-Pacific; CHINA; INTERNAL AFFAIRS; EE/D2405/G

SOURCE: Source: PTI news agency, New Delhi, in English 1119 gmt 10 Sep 95

BODY:

[7] Text of report by the Indian news agency PTI

Shimla, 10th September: Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is prepared to give up the demand for complete independence of Tibet if China expresses its willingness to settle the issue through negotiations.

Addressing a press conference here Sunday 10th September , chairman of the assembly of Tibetan people's deputies, Prof Samdong Rimpoche, said Dalai Lama was prepared to discuss the issue without insisting on "total independence" provided the talks were held without any pre-condition. He said there was no contact of Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders with China at any level but Tibetans were confident that China would have to take care of the changing world opinion.

Prof. Rimpoche accused China of launching a systematic drive to destroy language, literature and thinking of Tibetans and causing irrevocable damage to Tibet's ecology by converting it into a nuclear dump. The dumping of nuclear wastes in Tibet posed a grave threat to the entire Asia, especially India as most of its rivers originate from there. Besides, there was a conspiracy to change the demographic character of Tibet by sending Chinese settlers there to outnumber the original population.