World Tibet Network News Thursday, April 16, 1998

NEW DELHI, April 15 (AFP) - Six Tibetan activists who have been on hunger strike for a month Wednesday rejected an appeal from United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to give up their protest.

A statement by the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) said the hunger strikers, aged between 25 and 70, wanted the United Nations to take decisive steps in a bid to resolve the Tibetan issue.

The TYC said Annan's appeal was made by his office. The Tibetans have been living solely on lemon water and bits of fruit in New Delhi since March 10 demanding their country's freedom from China.

"We are honoured to have a response from the office (of UN Secretary General)," the TYC said. "At the same time, the statement doesn't give any positive consideration to the specific demands made by the TYC.

"The United Nations ... has a moral responsibility in solving the question of

Tibet. For the last half a century, (the) Tibetan issue has been the most neglected issues as far as the United Nations is concerned.

"The six activists have resolved from the very beginning that we are determined to pay the price to gain justice," the statement said.

"The TYC hopes the UN Secretary General will appoint a Special Envoy on Tibet

in order to settle the question of Tibet peacefully under a UN-supervised

plebiscite in Tibet."

The hunger strikers have been visited by the Dalai Lama, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, human rights activist and former model Bianca Jagger as well as Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, a niece of former U.S. president John F. Kennedy.

The Dalai Lama has lived in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala since fleeing his homeland in 1959 following a failed anti-China uprising.

India is home to about 100,000 Tibetan emigres.