Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday November 12 1997

by Michael Day

The West Australian, Nov. 3rd '97

CHINA would save millions of dollars and earn worldwide respect if it withdrew from Tibet, a Buddhist scholar and author said in Perth.

Canadian Glenn H Mullin said it cost Beijing $25 million dollars a day to keep trops stationed in Tibet, but that this would not be needed if autonomy were granted.

Just back from Tibet, Mr. Mullin said that by talking to local people he learnt that late-night arrests and torture of supporters of the Dalai Lama were continuing--a claim denied by a Chinese representative in Perth.

Mr. Mullin said every monk and nun in Tibet had been asked to sign a document which rejected the Dalai Lama and accepted that Tibet was part of China. Refusal led to arrest and torture.

Nuneries had been objects of special brutality by police. He had visited three where the population was less than half of what it was a year ago.

Mr. Mullin said Tibetan refugees in Nepal told him that nuns had been stripped and tortured with cattle prods.

The repression would increase as winter approached in response to Hollywood movies about Tibet and protests in the United States during the visit of Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

The statements by Mr. Mullin, who is in Perth to give a series of workshops and lectures, brought a strong denial from the Chinese vice-consul general in Perth, Wang Deren.

"As for his claims of torture, I don't believe them," Mr. Wang said. "We have laws in China, and torture is not allowed. As for arrests, anybody who breaks the law could be arrested and should be arrested."

Mr. Wang said it was the policy of China to take great care of Tibetans and other minorities. "We welcome visitors to Tibet," he said.

Mr. Wang said it was a historical fact that Tibet was part of China and the country had the rights to station troops there, just as it did in other provinces.