NEW YORK, 20 September - Filled with some of the choicest restaurants in the world, one would think that New York would be the last place on earth people would decide to stage an indefinite hunger-strike. But today 14 Tibetans, blessed by four monks who invoked the protection of Tibet's silent but ever-present dieties, kicked off a round-the -clock relay hunger strike to draw the attention of the United Nations to the continuing occupation of Tibet by China.

Enconsed at a corner of 47th Street and First Avenue, across the street from the U.N Building, the 14 Tibetans, a mixture of men and women, flanked by a forest of Tibetan flags, sat passively on the cement floor while their spokespersons distributed flyers and chatted with passers-by on the issue of Tibet.

As a backdrop to this somber gathering was a huge banner which listed the five demands of the hunger-strikers: that the UN should recognize that Tibet is an occupied country; that UN should mediate between the Dalai Lama and China on the future status of Tibet; that the UN should accord observer status to the representative of the Dalai Lama in the General Assembly; that the UN should invite the Dalai Lama to address the General Assembly; and that the UN should implement the three resolutions it passed on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965, which called on China to recognize the fundamental human rights of the Tibetans, including their right to self- determination.

Namkha Tenzin, one of the spokespersons for the hunger-strike movement, cheerfully dished out to curious passers-by copies of the five-point demands of the movement. Namkha Tenzin, who with his colleague, Karma Chophel, traveled all the way from India, to coordinate this movement, was confident that the world body would accede to their demands.

"Our demands are within the framework of international law. There is nothing in our demands which the United Nations, given the will, cannot carry out," said Namkha Tenzin, adjusting his black traditional Tibetan gown. All the 14 hunger-strikers were similarly dressed.

John Hocevar, the director of the Students for Free Tibet, which claims it has branches in 50 campuses in North America, said that the Tibetan demands were simple, and the UN had a lot to gain by considering them. "Because of the UN's present position on Tibet there is a perception that the UN allows itself to be bullied by China on Tibet, and is not a good representative of the world's nations."

John Hocevar supported the hunger-strikers action by saying that people in desperate situations would use whatever means they have. "I'm sure that they would have preferred not to go on a hunger-strike but they have no choice."

To the question why he couldn't have organized such a hunger- strike in India itself, Namkha Tenzin said, "We are here because the UN is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and all the heads of state will be here.We have send our memorandum to the General Secretary of the United Nations and to all member states in the hope that our action here will be noticed by the world body."

Namkha Tenzin indicated that the hunger-strike movement will be joined by more Tibetans on 21 October, the start of the official UN happy birthday bash.

In a press statement, Karma Chophel, the other spokesperson for the movement, said, "On the 50th anniversary, the time has come for the United Nations to act as the savior of the Tibetan people and to hear their voice.

Adding that time is running out for Tibet, Karma Chophel said, "Tibet is slowly dying because of the onslaught of the systematic Chinese policy of ethnic cleansing to wipe out the Tibetan identity from the face of the earth."

Both Karma Chophel and Namkha Tenzin are members of the newly- founded National Democratic Party of Tibet, based in India.