FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tempa Tsering - Thubten Samphel

Tel: (91) (1892) 22457

Dharamsala, February 17, 1996 (DIIR) - In a fresh sign of China's hardening position on Tibet, on January 24, the 'Tibet Autonomous Region's' department of culture issued an order to the management committees of both the Nurbulinka and Potala, the summer and winter palaces of the Dalai Lamas, to take down all the photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Within an hour all photographs in both palaces were taken down, according to fresh coming from Tibet.

The same sources suspect that the authorities will soon froce the monks of the three great monasteries of Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, Sera, Ganden and Drepung, to take down Dalai Lama photographs from their numerous chapels and temples.

Officials of the Tibetan administration suspect that the fresh ban on His Holiness the Dalai Lama's photographs in his own palaces is a part of the overall strategy of the Chinese authorities to focus their 1996 campaign in waging what they describe as "a life and death struggle against splittism," a reference to the independence movement in Tibet.

Recently the Lhasa Public Security Bureau issued an order to all its branches in the city to confiscate and ban all "reactionary literature" and photographs of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the young boy recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the authentic reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.

Photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are now put in the category of "reactionary literature."

According to reports coming from Tibet, on 24 January, the authorities took down 25 photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama from the Potala Palace alone.

17 February 1996

Department of Information and Internatonal Relations

Central Tibetan Administration

Gangchen Kyishong

Dharmasala 176 215

INDIA