Published by: World Tibet Network News, Sunday, July 7th 1996

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Mrs Kesang Y Takla

Mr Tseten Samdup

Tel: 0171-722 5378

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, spiritual and political leader of the Tibetan people, will visit the United Kingdom from 15 to 21 July 1996. This is on the invitation of the Buddhist Society, Network of Buddhist Organisations and the Tibet Society, all UK-based organisations. It will be the His Holiness' eighth visit to the United Kingdom.

During the seven-day visit, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have a number of political and religious engagements. He will meet with the Foreign Secretary Mr Malcolm Rifkind and Labour Party's Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mr Robin Cook. At the invitation of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, His Holiness will address the Members of the Parliament on 16 July morning. In the afternoon, The Buddhist Society, the oldest Buddhist organisation in the United Kingdom, will host a reception in honour of His Holiness to mark its 70th Anniversary. His Holiness is the patron of the Society.

For the first time in the West, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will give two exclusive days of teaching on 17 and 18 July 1996 on the Four Noble Truths - the heart of the Buddha's teachings. This has been requested by The Network of Buddhist Organisations - a forum for dialogue and co-operation between Buddhist organisations in the UK.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will also address two public talks at Free Trade Hall, Manchester - Compassion, The Basis for Human Happiness on 19 July 1996, and at London's Alexandra Palace - The Need to Balance Spiritual and Material Values on 20 July 1996. Both these talks are organised by Tibet Society of United Kingdom, an organisation formed to lobby the Tibetan issue in 1959 soon after His Holiness the Dalai Lama escaped into exile after the onset of China's occupation of Tibet.

7 July 1996