Here it is the transcription of an interview to Ms Koren made by Paolo Pietrosanti and broadcasted by Radio Radicale - one of the main private nation-wide radio stations in Italy.

PP: Here is Radio Radicale, in studio I have Ms Chundag D. Koren. She is the Representative of His Holyness the Dalai Lama in a big part of Europe, and... well, I don't want to go on explaining who she is. I ask her to say it...

SK: First of all I want to thank Radio Radicale for having invited me here, to have this chat. As Paolo said, I am the new Representative of His Holyness the Dalai Lama and of the Tibetan Government in exile in Southern Europe, that means in Italy, Germany, Malta, Turkey, Greece; and I'm based in Geneva.

PP: You are in Geneva since a short time ago.

SK: Yes, I'm in the office since last October.

PP: And what about this experience, these very first months?

SK: This trip to Italy is the first important charge. I'm here to receive, on behalf of His Holyness, the "Together for Peace" Foundation award. The Foundation has awarded persons working for peace and for the society; and His Holiness has been awarded for his highest aknowledgement for his work for Tibet.

PP: We would like to know more about you. You are Tibetan, you live in Europe, you have been living in Europe elsewhere than in Geneve...

SK: I live in Europe since 1969. I came as a student to Norway, because I got a scholarship there, I've been in India for ten years after I came from Tibet in 1959. Then, after I finished my school, I got the scholarship to go to Norway, I studied there, and besides my ordinary work, I've been very much involved with the Tibetan issue and making Scandinavian people aware about the Tibetan issue.

PP: Then, now, this trip, this mission to Rome. During these days spent in Rome you have had important meetings.

SK: Apart from receiving the Award on behalf of His Holyness, I've had several meetings. Yesterday I met Parliamentarians, and among them I had the opportunity to meet with the Honorable Nan, in the Italian Parliament, and I also had meetings with different Tibet Support Groups, in Italy, where there is a big interest for the Tibetan people: and it is very encouraging for me, Also being me engaged in a new job.

PP: I think it is important for the listeners to know that you have had several very high-level meetings during these days...

SK: Yes. I had the opportunity of meeting with the Pope in the Audience, and I also expressed to him the greetings from His Holiness, and the Pope said that he has Tibet and the Tibetan people in his prays. I was very happy to hear that from the Pope. Also, I met Italian authorities, as the Mayor of Rome, and I also met ambassadors, of different countries. So, I had the very good opportunity to meet these persons.

PP: You are a sort of ambassador, a real ambassador. Let us understand what being the representatibe of His Holyness and of the Tibetan Government means.

SK: If you look at the meaning of the word, I'm the Ambassador. But as we all know, we don't get such a status as the other diplomats; but we are received and accepted as ambassadors.

PP: So, space, links, connections you can get in your work depend on political conditions...

SK: Yes, of course. That's why it is very important for me to meet with political leaders, especially of the European Parliament, and of European countries, to request them the support for our cause. Now the time is running for Tibet; it is a very crucial time for us, and I hope... it seems that we are getting a lot of support from the European community.

PP: A few weeks ago we had the honor to meet here in Italy Samdong rimpoche, the Chairman of the Tibetan Parliament in exile. And I was very impressed by one phrase he said in that occasion. During a press conference he held here in Rome he said : we pay the cost of our nonviolence; if we were terrorists, it would be sure that medias, would pay much more attention to our cause.

SK: It is true. For the last 40 years we have followed the path of nonviolence with His Holiness. And I'm also very proud, being a Tibetan because we have managed to follow the principle of nonviolence. But then you can see what we have been achieving for the last 40 years: it seems the world pays more attention if you are terrorist, and you create more problems to the world. But we, as Tibetans, as Buddhists, we have followed this principle troughout 40 years. But now, as I said, time is running out; a lot of young Tibetans grown-up in the West or in exile, they see what other groups have achieved through terrorism, violence, and tehy see what we have achieved. So, they are getting very impatient, and it is very alarming for us. So, I hope the international community will react on this; and we should value the nonviolence principles.

PP: About it: actuality is bringing to us informations from Tibet: There are troubles there...

SK: Yes. As many have read on newspapers, Chinese have choosen a new Panchen Lama. Panchen Lama is the second highest Lama, after the Dalai Lama, in Tibet. He died in 1989 and his monastery in Tibet requested His Holiness to recognize the new Panchen Lama - the reincarnation of him. His Holiness recognized teh new Panchen Lama last May. He was born in Tibet. It was a very happy occasion for all of us because in the Buddhist tradition, in the Tibetan tradition the Panchen Lama recognization is done by His Holyness, as well as His Holiness recognization is done by Panchen Lama. Both Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama have a mutual recognization of each other. So, when the Chinese heard this news, tehy did not accept His Holyness recognization and they called the Tibetan Lamas and some of the big Party members from Tibet to come down to Bejing and sit on meeting. Chinese wanted their own candidate and they chhose three candidates out of which they - the Chinese - wanted to choose one as the Panchen Lama. The boy who

was recognized by His Holyness disappeared and we know he is somewhere in China with his parents and he is only six years old.

There is one thing I want to make absolutely clear: Tibetan people inside and outside Tibet will not accept this so called Panchen Lama, because it has been done completely against our tradition and religion. China has never been interested in religion; in fact, as a communist country China is against religion and they call it a poison for people; Mao said so. And now, suddenly, they interfere in our tradition, in our religious belief, which is a very sad thing for us.

People will not accept it; there have been a lot of small demonstrations in tibet and three of the major cities are now under special police measures.

PP: Authoritative measures by Chinese Army, demonstrations in tibet... What do you foresee for the next future?

SK: I'm very worried about my people in Tibet because, as we all know, the majority of the population in Tibet is Chinese, today. 7.5 million Chinese towards 6 million Tibetan: so, we are a minority. You can see that in all these small demonstrations people risk their lives; when they do these things they will be arrested, they will be violated, and they will be put in prison.

PP: On teh basis of the informations received by the public in the West - which are never enough large and abundant, because of the responsibility of medias - His Holyness the Dalai Lama is absolutely firm on the side of nonviolence. On the other hand, as you said, there are in Tibet and outside Tibet, young Tibetans who are pushing His Holyness in order to be stronger and even less nonviolent. What do you think about it?

SK: I think it is very alarming for the whole world. Do we want a new terrorist group? Do the world need that? This is the question.I think it is very alarming, and I believe the international community has to react on this.and try to give us support in order to avoid this things.

PP: Even in the speech you have brought to Rome in these days, His Holiness confirms his standing on the side of nonviolence...

SK: Yes. Accepting the award he got in Rome - which he got because of his nonviolence - he said "on our part we Tibetans will continue to strive for freedom but we will resist resorting to violence. As long as I lead our freedom struggle, there will be no diversion from the part of nonviolence. However it has now vecome clear that our efforts alone are not sufficient to bring about a positive change in the attitude of Chinese Government.Therefore I appeal to all of you in this occasion to support the Tibetan people who are presently prevented from exercising the right and freeedom that many of us for a granted." So, this is very clear.

PP: Do you hope Tibet will be free, how and when?

SK: This is the hope which keeps us going on working for an independent Tibet and and for the Tibetan issue; and I hope it will be. Because when we look at the very recent past, at the Berlin Wall, who could think the Berlin Wall could have fallen down? So, I think we have a hope. This hope keeps us working for the Tibetan issue.

PP: _ And how do you think can it happen?

SK: I think the best thing is the negotiation between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his Government in exile, and the Chinese. They have to come to the negotiation table, without preconditions. This has been requested by His Holyness approach to the Chinese Government for many years; but there have not been any response from the Chinese side. And they always want to have some preconditions.

PP: Which do you think could be the role of United Nations?

SK: UN have a very big role, I think. To put a pressure to China, to take Chinese to the negotiation table. In this I think UN have a big responsibility. That's why, I think, we have United Nations: it's for the people and of the people.

PP: You are in charge in Geneve also because of the presence, in tthat town, of one of the main UN seats...

SK: Yes, I have also responsibility for UN affairs and EU political affairs. And my main responsibility is to get the support from the UN member countries, and also to try to have a Resolution on China, not only for Tibet, but also on human rights violations in China, including Tibet.

PP: Which is the stage of the issue, there?

SK: I hope that we can take it up in the coming Commission...

PP: ... a resolution?

SK: Yes. I hope so.

PP: Let me ask you one thing. What do you ask listeners to do?

SK: Support for Tibet and talk to your Government. Put pressure to your government: they should now have a moral responsibility and solidarity. It is very important in Italy, now. What do I mean for solidarity? and solidarity for whom? I think Italian people have also responsibility and has the chance to put pressure to the Government and MPs. This is what we want: help from people.

PP: And what do you think should the Transnational Radical Party do?

SK: The Transnational Radical Party have benn helping us for the last few years, they have done very much, and they made awareness about that issue in the political areas. I think they have done a very good job, which has to be continued to make the Tibetan issue present in the political areas.

PP: We thank you, I thank you. And let me say - I do not know if you agree - teh cause of Tibet is the cause of tolerance, the cause of democracy, the cause of a policy based on efforts towards democracy, nonviolence and tolerance; and it is the cause of each and everybody.

SK: It is the cause of the whole world.

PP: Thank you.