Published by: World Tibet Network News Tuesday, November 25, 1997

According to the Free Tibet Campaign the Chinese Ambassador in London announced to the British Foreign Office yesterday the the proposed delegation's visit in early December has been cancelled.

Free Tibet Campaign write:

"The Foreign Office did not invite him (Ragdi - a Tibetan, No.2 official in the TAR), and made it clear that they would only meet with Ragdi if he also met us (the Tibet NGOs) and the parliamentary group on Tibet, as well as the press. The Chinese Ambassador apparently went purple when told of these conditions and implied they MIGHT agree to meet us if we would undertake not to demonstrate during the visit. We said we were not prepared to relinquish our right to free expression and we expected the Foreign Office to defend those rights. The Chinese Ambassador went away to consider, and announced to the Foreign Office yesterday that the visit would NOT NOW TAKE PLACE."