Tribune - Chandigarh, India

May 8, 1997

Dharamsala, May 7 - The Third World parliamentarians convention on Tibet held in Washington recently called upon the United Front and various governments to persuade China to accept the Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama's offer of negotiation in the interest of the people of both China and Tibet.

Over a hundred parliamentarians from 40 nations attended the convention. They asked China to initiate earnest negotiations without further delay and pre-conditions with the Dalai Lama and his government-in-exile. They reaffirmed the belief that the question of Tibet could be resolved only through earnes negotiations.

According to officials of the Tibetan Government-in-exile here, the participants observed that the Dalai Lama's repeated pronouncements that despite the historical reality of Tibet's separate identity, what he now sought was not an independent Tibet, but a genuine self-government. This would hold immense significance not only for the future of the people of China and Tibet, but also for the people of all Asian countries. The issue of demilitarisation of Tibet and its transformation into a zone of peace too was accorded great importance.

Dalai Lama's visit to the USA to attend the convention and his meeting with the American President, Mr. Bill Clinton, is being given great importance. While the First World parliamentarians conference on Tibet was held in Delhi in 1994, the second one was held in Lithuania in 1995.

The participants at the convention regretted that despite the ever-growing demand by the world community that negotiations take place between the Tibetan Government and China, no concrete progress had taken place.

The Washington statement on Tibet issued at the convention pointed out that during the past two years the Chinese authorities had escalated moves to erase the identity of the Tibetan people. It noted with concern the increased torture, imprisonment and death of those asserting their Tibetan identity and political aspirations.

The government deplored the attack on the life, religion and culture of the Tibetan people and demanded the immediate release of the 11th Panchen Lama from captivity.