"The Australian", Friday September 15

The Australian Tibetan delegates, who were the subject of an official protest to China over their treatment at the recent United Nations-sponsored women's forum in Huairou, arrived home yesterday satisfied that a bid to foil their audience with the world's women had failed.

In Sydney yesterday, Ms Dorji Dolma told how she and Ms Kesang Wangmo, from Melbourne, were followed, videotaped and harassed to the point where they feared for their safety at the Non-Government Organisations forum of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.

"From the start of the NGO forum, we were constantly followed and harassed by the Chinese Government's people. We were videotaped and photographed," she said.

Ms Dolma said the "aggressive and very vicious" behaviour towards them was unsettling, but the international interest in the plight of women in Tibet was gratifying.

"I think the Chinese tactic of trying to stop us from telling the world about the real facts on Tibet backfired, because they were not the gracious hosts they were supposed to be," Ms Dolma said.

In one incident during the forum, both women were surrounded by Chinese security officials and Chinese Tibetan delegates, who accused them of telling lies and of being the enemies of China.

The pair was rescued by the Australian ambassador to China, Mr Michael Lighttower, and taken to an Australian tent, shaken and in tears.

The Australian Government immediately acted to lodge an official protest to China over the incident.

Ms Dolma said she thought China was an inappropriate choice as host of the conference because of its authoritarian record.

"The United Nations must take responsibility (to ensure) that every woman has access to it."

Ms Dolma has been living in Australia for the past 12 years, having grown up in India after her family escaped from Tibet in 1959.

She went to China as part of the Tibetan women's delegation in exile following her work for the Australia Tibet Council.

"I feared for my safety. But I was there to do my job whatever the consequences were," Ms Dolma said.

Ms Wangmo said she barricaded herself inside a dormitory at night to escape the constant harassment.

"I thought if they can do this to us here at what is supposed to be a UN conference on peace and equality, in front of the world media - what is happening to our people in Tibet where nobody is watching," Ms Wangmo said.