World Tibet Network News Thursday, June 11, 1998

VIENNA, June 10 (AFP) - Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who is on a four-day visit to Austria, said on Wednesday that his drive for Tibetan autonomy was also motivated by concern for environmental protection in his homeland, the APA news agency reported. In a speech at a pro-Tibetan gala in Vienna, the Dalai Lama said human rights were not his only concern in seeking autonomy from China. He said Chinese repression was not just a threat to Tibetan culture and its religion but also to the environment. He said the ecological balance in the region was under threat from over-exploitation by the Chinese of Tibet's natural resources. The Tibetan spiritual leader who arrived Tuesday after visiting Germany for three days, thanked Austrians for "their solidarity" with the Tibetans.