Dalai Lama draws a crowd in Geneva

GENEVA, Aug 8 (AFP) - Several thousand people packed into Geneva's St Pierre Cathedral Sunday, with some spilling outside as they heard a sermon on religious tolerance by the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. On Saturday, several thousand others gathered in a park as he spoke about ethics in the 21st century and relations between Tibet and China.

In response to a question from the public, the Dalai Lama said: "I do not claim independence for Tibet, but I hope for a form of autonomy in order to preserve its culture and traditions."

On Sunday, he spoke in support of love and religious virtues during an ecumenical ceremony in the city where French Protestant theologian John Calvin developed a large part of his 16th century work.

An enthusiastic crowd applauded several times during his address, which did not touch on political issues. The Tibetan spiritual leader will not meet with Swiss President Ruth Dreifuss or any other member of the country's six-strong Federal Council, the country's government, during his four-day visit.

But he does plan talks with pro-Tibetan parliamentary deputies on Monday. Analysts say Switzerland, which hosts the largest Tibetan community in Europe, hopes to avoid further deterioration in its relations with China, following a strained visit by President Jiang Zemin March 25. Demonstrators blowing whistles and waving flags and banners in front of the parliament building in Bern forced Jiang to cancel his review of the troops. In subsequent speeches, Jiang was extremely critical of the Swiss government.

A week earlier, during a meeting of the UN human rights commission, four demonstrators got into the Chinese mission in Geneva to protest against Chinese policy over Tibet and against Jiang's forthcoming visit.

Chinese troops entered Tibet in October 1950. On March 10, 1959, the fragile co-existence between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities collapsed, leading to an uprising against Beijing's rule.

The revolt was brutally suppressed by Chinese troops, forcing the Dalai Lama and his entourage to flee across the Himalayan mountains into exile in India. Later Sunday, the Dalai Lama was to meet French priest Abbe Pierre, founder of the Emmaus charitable community, who is to give him the title of ownership for a tiny "peace vine," planted in the southern Swiss canton of Valais.