World Tibet Network News Friday, May 15, 1998

By Masako Iijima

NEW DELHI, May 15 (Reuters) - Five Tibetans who had been on a fast unto death temporarily halted their hunger strike on Friday following promises of support for their cause from several countries. ``We have gained the support of many countries,'' Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) president Tseten Norbu told Reuters. ``But at the same time, they have said that they can not give us the results we want immediately and have asked for time, which weare willing to give.''``We will see after some time if we need to resume the hungerstrike or not,'' he added. The strikers, demanding international support to press the United Nations to re-open debate on the autonomy of Tibet, were given water and glucose at 12.00 noon (0630 GMT). They were later taken to a local hospital. The Tibetans' other demands include the appointment of a special rapporteur to investigate human rights in the Himalayan region and a special envoy to promote a peaceful settlement of the question of Tibet.``I am disappointed that I cannot continue this

fast for my homeland,'' said Tsering Gonkyap, 55, sitting on a cot inside a sweltering tent while TYC members packed away megaphones, chairsand blankets.``But many countries have written to us of their support, so in that sense, I should be glad,'' he said.``But if we need to do it (hunger strike) again, I would do it. ''TYC said in a statement the governments of Poland, the United States, Hungary, the European Union, Norway and Costa Rica had said they would discuss the issue with China and at multilateral forums.

In order to achieve their demands, an initial six members started fast in a tent in the middle of a New Delhi park on March 10. On the 48th day of the strike, police swooped down on their tent and took them to hospital. A 50-year-old Tibetan then set himself on fire in protest against the police action. Thupten Ngodup, who was one of the six hungerstrikers planning to replace the first group, died a few days later in hospital of burns. Apart from the 11 unto-death hunger strikers, Norbu said nearly 6,000 Tibetans had taken part in shorter fasts in Delhi. TYC thanked U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights for writing and expressing concern, although the United Nations had not touched the core issues.``U.N. has at least started showing concern for the Tibetan issue after three decades,'' TYC said in a statement. ``We hope this gesture will finally result into active U.N. participation in solving the Tibetan issue to the satisfaction of the people of Tibet. ''The Tibet

matter is a sensitive issue at the United Nations, where China is a permanent member of the 15-seat Security Council and would strongly oppose concrete U.N. action as interference in its internal affairs. TYC also said it had decided to give the new leadership in Beijing time as international support for Tibet firmed - a decision supported by the Tibetan government in exile. Chinese forces swept into Tibet in 1950. The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, fled to India in 1959 after an abortiveuprising against the Himalayanregion's new rulers.