DHARAMSALA, October 2, 1995 (DIIR) -- An Australian tourist, who does not wish to be named, travelled to Tibet between May 28th 1995 to June 26, 1995. She entered Tibet as a regular tourist with no formal knowledge of the prevailing situation in Tibet. The following is a random account of her observations received by the Human Rights Desk.

* I arrived in Tibet on May 28, 1995. From Lhasa, I travelled to Shigatse and Mt. Kailash. To travel to Mt. Kailash, we [the tourists] were required to get three different permits and had to pass through three check points to reach there. We learned that western tourists who hitch hiked instead of going through Chinese approved travel agencies were being fined by the authorities. Two Canadian men, whom I met at the bank told me that they had been fined 500 Yuan for hitch hiking without permits.

* Along the Friendship Highway, I noticed hundreds of Chinese in green uniforms, perhaps military personnel, digging long trenches. They seemed to be installing telephone and electricity lines. Also, along the way we came across a Chinese driver whose truck was being confiscated for he had given a ride to three westerners. At one point we witnessed western tourists being harassed by the Chinese Police for travelling without permits whereby the Chinese police were getting quite abusive, asking the tourists to pay heavy fines. I discovered later that the tourists were able to bargain down the amount of their fines with their student cards.

* While in Mt. Kailash, we watched the Tibetans performing religious rites in celebration of the Saka Dawa festival. The presence of police here was conspicuous and seemed incongruent, with the sacredness of the celebrations. There were at least six plain clothes policemen patrolling the area where the festival was being held.

* On our way to Lhasa from Shigatse, we were not allowed to travel by those private mini buses which were cheaper than the government owned coaches.

* While in Lhasa, I did not go inside the Potala Palace. It just did not feel right having to pay the 45 yuan entrance fee as if the palace were a museum and what with all the Chinese tourists from Chengdu and Chinese shops at the foot of the palace.

* In the border area of Zhangmu, I noticed half a dozen Chinese officials in green uniforms poised with machine guns in their hands. We were told that they were training, although they presented a very unconvincing picture of being trained.

* I left Tibet on June 26, 1995.

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