Published by: World Tibet Network News, Friday, October 11, 1996

During the visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to New Zealand from 11 t0 14 September 1996, The Friends of Tibet (N.Z.) launched a Nationwide petition: " We the undersigned ask the New Zealand Government to facilitate negotiations between the Peoples Republic of China and His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Representatives, without any preconditions, to find a peaceful solution for the future status of Tibet" It got a very good start. The day His Holiness arrived in New Zealand, he was welcomed in a traditional manner to a Maori Marae and the leaders of the Maori community offered their Marae (meeting place) as a place for the negotiation to take place between China and Tibet. This was acepted by His Holiness.

The Maoris in New Zealand have given assurance that they will help to collect signatures for the petition. The aim of the petition is to collect over a million signatures.

Mr Thuten Kesang of Liaison Office of Tibet (New Zealand) has been invited to speak at a very famious Maori Marae on 26 October 1996 about the situation in Tibet and what can they do to help Tibet. The Maori Queen in New Zealand belongs to this tribe and will be at this gatherng which goes for the whole weekend

Submitted by From: thuten@kesang.ak.planet.co.nz