May 8, 1997

The Honorable Oliver Dupuis

Member of European Parliament

Co-President Intergroup on Tibet

97 rue Belliard

Bruxelles, 1047

Dear M. Dupuis:

Thank you for your interest in the III World Parliamentarians Convention on Tibet in Washington D.C. It is encouraging to find that so many Members of Parliament -'eel deeply concerned about the situation of Tibet and the Tibetan people.

We were very fortunate to have His Holiness the Dalai Lama address the Convention. He reiterated his commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Tibetan problem through a negotiated settlement. The Convention certainly has activated the international parliamentarians' movement on Tibet. In fact, both the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives International Relations Committee have decided to hold hearings on Tibet. The Senate's hearing is scheduled for May 13 and I will be testifying before it. I am sure we will be seeing similar actions in other parliaments.

The strong statement of support and the practical action plan that the Convention passed are strong signals to the Chinese leadership that the international community will continue to support the people of Tibet. The outcome of the Convention has provided the Tibetan people with new ideas in solving the Tibetan problem. The Tibetan delegation from Dharamsala to the Convention found the Convention very encouraging.

We have placed documents relating to the Convention on our website (www.peacenet.org/ict). We are currently in the process of compiling the proceedings of the Convention and will be sending it to you soon. While the Convention has ended, our task is not over; the Convention has provided us with much food for thought. I would appreciate your guidance and continued interest in the Tibetan issue.

Sincerely,

Lodi G. Gyari President

President