To His Holiness the Dalai Lama

and the honourable Messrs:

- Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, President of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile;

- Kalon Kelsang Yeshi, Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile;

- Kalon Tashi Wangdi, Foreign Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile;

- Kasur Lodi Gyari, President of the International Campaign for Tibet;

- Tempa Tsering, Secretary of the Department for Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Government-in-exile;

- Kelsang Gyaltsin, Personal Secretary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama;

- and the estimable representatives of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Brussels, 9 January 1997

Your Holiness,

During Your recent visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, You and Mr Marco Pannella agreed on the necessity and urgency to significantly reinforce the deliberation of the time frame, modalities, goals, strategy, and organization of a great nonviolent movement: the 1998 worldwide Satyagraha for the freedom of Tibet.

To an ever-growing number of people - personalities and common citizens, Tibetans and non-Tibetans - this initiative appears to be a potentially decisive element in persuading the Chinese authorities to open unconditional negotiations with the Tibetan Government in exile on the future of Tibet.

Your Holiness, during the Strasbourg meeting we got the impression that You clearly showed an interest in Mr Pannella's proposal to start the operational phase by organizing a strictly private seminar among You, the Tibetan leadership, and the leaders of the Radical Party.

The most recent events in China and Tibet, notably the considerable increase in tension in Lhasa, appear to us as further evidence, if needed, that time is pressing for the urgent necessity to organize such a common and deepened deliberation.

Well aware of Your busy calendar, we would be grateful if You could let us know whether You still believe that such a seminar would be useful. Also, whether You and the top-ranking leaders of both the Parliament and Government of Tibet in Exile, could find a couple of days to get together to work on the above mentioned issues. If this is the case, we would like to suggest it to take place in April or May, in some city in Europe, equipped with the technical facilities (e.g. simultaneous translation).

Setting our hopes on concretizing this project, please accept ourwarmest wishes for the new year (both the "western" and the upcoming Tibetan one),

Yours sincerely,

Olivier Dupuis

General Secretary

of the Transnational Radical Party

PS: enclosed please find a draft agenda for the seminar, obviously to be finalised above all with Your suggestions.