WASHINGTON, June 15 (AFP) - Thousands plan to gather here for a massive pro-Tibet rally on Capitol Hill just days ahead of President Bill Clinton's trip to China. The event, which organizers say will be the largest rally for Tibetan autonomy in the history of the movement, is organized by pro-Tibet groups along with help from celebrities from Hollywood and the musicworld. Organizers, which include Amnesty International and the Milarepa Fund, are hoping tens of thousands will gather at noon at the foot of the Capitol, the home of the US Congress. At the rally the crowds will hear speeches on Tibet from members Congress, as well from celebrities like actor Richard Gere and Adam Yauch, member of the Beastie Boys band.

The event is being held just days before Clinton begins a June 25-July 3 state visit to China. The goal is to make US officials aware of the Tibetan situation, organizers said. Chinese troops took control of Tibet in 1951, and Beijing condemns Washington every time US officials raise the issue, stating that it is an interference in internal affairs. Tibetan autonomy recently emerged from decades of obscurity to become a high-profile Hollywood cause, chiefly through the sponsorship of movie stars like Gere, Harrison Ford and Uma Thurman. Vast US pro-Tibet gatherings were also held when Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited the United States in October 1997. Monday's rally is the culmination of a weekend of pro-Tibet events. On Sunday, more than 65,000 people gathered at the Robert F. Kennedy stadium here for the second day of a massive pro-Tibet concert billed as the largest humanitarian concert since the "Live Aid" concert in 1985,which raised money for African famine victims.

On Saturday, the first day of the "Freedom for Tibet" music festiva lended on a tragic note when 14 people were injured by a power fullightning strike. Three of the victims were sent to hospital. One of them, a 25-year-old woman, remained hospitalized suffering from severe burns, authorities said Sunday. Minutes after lightning struck, a heavy thunder storm began pounding the stadium, where more than 110,000 people were assembled for the show. The festival was canceled for the day. Sunday the crowds gathered again to hear groups like REM, Radiohead and Sonic Youth. Kay Dougherty, coordinator for the Students for a Free Tibet, said that in the two days organizers managed to collect one million dollars for the Tibetan cause. In a press conference Saturday organizers said they want to convince president Clinton to forcefully raise the issue during his meeting with Chinese authorities.

"I just want to stress that it's Bill Clinton's responsibility to make China have negotiations with Tibet," said Sean Lennon, son of slain former Beatle John Lennon, another rock luminary espousing Tibetan autonomy. The "Freedom for Tibet" festival followed two earlier shows in San Francisco and New York which raised about 1.25 million dollars.