Published by: World Tibet Network News, Thursday, January 25, 1996

Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 0924 gmt 25 Jan 96

Text of report by Xinhua news agency

Lhasa, 25th January: To date, there are 10 law offices with 47 professional lawyers, most of them native Tibetans, in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. In November 1985 the first legal organ on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was set up in this capital of the autonomous region. Since then, Tibet has trained a group of professional lawyers by means of holding qualification tests.

Over the past decade Tibet's lawyers have handled 977 criminal cases, 860 civil cases and 884 economic disputes, which have been growing at an annual rate of 30 per cent. The legal business began to enter such areas as real estate, finance, securities and intellectual property rights in recent years.

A self-employed artist in Xigaze once sculpted the head for the stupa of the tenth Panchen Lama at the Zhaxi Lhunbo Lamasery. In addition to the service fees, the artist has charged for copyright royalties.

Yang Kyan, known as the top female Tibetan lawyer, has taken up the case, saying, "I am confident of winning the case, and ready to safeguard all citizens' legitimate rights."

The case is presently pending.