World Tibet Network News Monday, April 20, 1998

CANBERRA, 20 April 1998 -- Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche, Chair person of the Tibetan Parliament in exile has been in Australia since 11 April.

Prior to his three weeks of lectures at the University of Tasmania, which begins today, 20 April, Prof. Rinpoche visited Sydney, Canberra, and Melbourne.

During his visits to the three cities, he met with members of the Tibetan support groups led by the Australia Tibet Council (ATC), members of the Tibetan community, and he also met with media personnel, both electronic and print. He also gave talks at the Buddhist Centres at these three places.

On 16 April Prof. Rinpoche appeared before the Australian Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade which is inquiring into to the Regional Dialogue on Human Rights in the region. It was covered by national TV and also the Australian international ITV, for Asia and the Pacific Region. He also spoke on Tibet and China in the next century at the China Contemporary Centre of the Australian National University in Canberra.

Among those who met Professor Rinpoche included the Hon Justice Michael Kirby, a of the Australian highest court, the High Court and President of the International Commission of Jurists, parliamentarians, officials, members of the International Commission of Jurists in Australia. At a function in Melbourne, the ICJ Report: Tibet: Human Rights and the Rule of Law was launched by federal judge the Hon Ron Merkel, QC on 18 April. It was launched in Sydney in February by Justice the Hon John Dowd, QC, President of the Australian Section of the ICJ.

Attached is an interview with Prof. Rinpoche which appeared in today's THE AGE newspaper, in which among others he said that the biggest threat to human rights was "competition to appease China."

While at the University of Tasmania, Prof. Rinpoche will also be meeting federal and state parliamentarians. Apart from his three week engagements at the University he is scheduled to give lectures on Buddhism and Non-violence in Melbourne over the first weekend of May.

Professor Rinpoche briefed on the latest situation in Tibet, on the situation of the hunger strikers in New Delhi and also the efforts being made by H.H. The Dalai Lama and the Tibetan administration in exile towards bringing about an honourable solution to the issue of Tibet. All those who have heard Professor Rinpoche were deeply inspired by his visit to Australia.

For information, please contact:

Tibet Information Office, Canberra Tel: (61 2) 6285 4046

University of Tasmania, Hobart Tel: (61 3) 6227 2255