Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday, September 17, 1997

BEIJING, Sept 16 (AFP) - Tibet's government-in-exile gave a guarded welcome Tuesday to China's decision to release 111 prisoners in Tibet, urging Beijing to free all political prisoners in the Himalayan region.

"We would like to welcome the release of 111 prisoners in Tibet," said Tempa Tsering, secretary of the international relations department of the exiled government based in northern India.

"We believe that this is a right beginning," Tsering said in a faxed statement received here. "However, we urge the Chinese authorities to release all political prisoners in Tibet."

The inmates were among 132 prisoners who were released on parole or had their sentences reduced earlier this month by the Intermediate People's Court of Lhasa.

Only two political prisoners were included in the list.

According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy - also based in Dharamsala -- there are at least 1,018 political prisoners in Tibet.

So far there has been no independent confirmation of the releases, which were announced by China's official Xinhua news agency.

The Tibetan government in exile was set up in India after Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.