World Tibet Network News Wednesday, March 11, 1998

Submitted by: Petra Seibert, SAVE TIBET (Vienna, Austria)

VIENNA, March 10, 1998 -- Counted 77 Tibet supporters and Tibetans assembled yesterday, March 10, in front of the Austrian Parliament in Vienna, at 4.30 pm. Gazing at the nearly full moon rising vis-a-vis the Parliament, they listened to the March 10 statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, read by Mr. Lobsang Gyalpo, president of the Tibetan Community in Austria. Then Mrs. Madeleine Petrovic, chairwoman of the Green's parliamentary group, addressed the participants. She pointed out that the patient nonviolent way of the Tibet Movement in combination with its clear focus is about to bear fruit, at least in the Austrian Parliament. At the last meeting of the presidential board of the Nationalrat it was determined that the Parliament will extend an official invitation to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for a visit in June. Four of the five parties immediately agreed, the social democrats appear to be still hesitating, but Mrs. Petrovic voiced optimism that they would make up their minds to welcome His Holiness.

Then the demonstration moved along the Ringstrasse, one of Vienna's central boulevards, to the Chinese Embassy. Here the Tibetans sang their national anthem, and all together "We shall overcome", a monk from Namgyal monastery on visit in Vienna offered a prayer, the experiences of March 10, 1959, by Rinchen Dolma Taring were read from her autobiography, and finally the rally was finished with BOD RANGZEN and FREE TIBET shouted towards the embassy. Other than in previous years, embassy staff did not show up and also police was more relaxed.

The embassy staff did not open to accept a letter the Tibetans tried to hand over. Finally, Mrs. Tseten Zoechbauer invited everybody for tea and soup to her Tibetan restaurant, after two hours in the cold.