China demanded that His Holiness the Dalai Lama recognise Tibet as part of China as a pre-condition before any negotiations can start. This is tantamount to asking him to distort history.

The facts: Until recently, Communist China based its claim to Tibet on the marriage of Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo to a Chinese princess in the seventh Century, conveniently forgetting the Tibetan king's senior queen, princess Brikuti Devi of Nepal. When Beijing could not sustain this position any longer, they shifted the period of their claim to the thirteenth century, basing it on the establishment of Mongol influence in Tibet. However, the Mongols are a different nation and the Chinese have always considered them as aliens. In 191I, when the Nationalist revolution toppled the Manchu dynasty, Sun Yatsen said that China had been occupied twice by foreign powers: the first by the Mongols and the second by the Manchu emperors.

In any case, the Mongol influence in Tibet came to an end in 1350, eighteen years before China overthrew them.

In 1949, when Nepal applied for UN membership, it cited its diplomatic relations with Tibet to prove that it was a sovereign nation. The UN accepted this argument and thus effectively recognised Tibet's status as a sovereign nation.

During the UN General Assembly debate on Tibet, Irish Representative Frank Aitken stated: "For thousands of years, or for a couple of thousand years at any rate, (Tibet) was a free and as fully in control of its own affairs as any nation in this Assembly, and a thousand times more free to look after its own affairs that many of the nations here."

The studies of International Commission of Jurists, the USA Congress, the German Bundestag and many other independent bodies testified to Tibet's independent status at the time of its invasion by China.

Tibetan people, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, acknowledge that the traditional Tibetan society was by no means perfect. However, people lived a life of contentment and free of starvation for 2,000 years until Chinese invasion in 1949. His Holiness the Dalai Lama initiated far-reaching reforms in Tibet as soon as he assumed temporal authority and continued to democratise the Tibetan society and political system. In 1960, the first representative form of government, through the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (Tibetan Parliament in Exile) was introduced in India. In 1963, His Holiness the Dalai Lama promulgated a Constitution for the future Tibet based on the principles of modern democracy.

In February 1992, His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced the "Guidelines for Future Tibet's Polity and the Basic Features of its Constitution" wherein he stated that he would not play any role in the future government of Tibet, let alone seek the Dalai Lama's traditional political position. The future government of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, would be elected by the people on the basis of adult franchise. The struggle of the Tibetan people is neither to restore the past traditional system nor for the restoration of die status of a few individuals.

The Chinese government's claim of China historically granting the title of the Dalai Lama and approving the selection of the Dalai Lamas is false as evidenced by these two examples. The title of the "Talai (Dalai) Lama was first conferred on the third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, by the Mongol court of Altan Khan. The falsity of the Chinese claim that the selection of the 14th Dalai Lama was done with the approval of the Chinese government was exposed by Mr. Ngapo Ngawang Jigme, vice-chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, in an article published in the Chinese official Tibet Daily on 31 August 1989: "Wu Zhongxin's claim of having presided over the enthronement ceremony on the basis of (this) photograph is a blatant distortion of historical facts." Wu Zhongxin was the leader of the Chinese delegation attending the enthronement ceremony along with the British and the representatives of other governments.

The Chinese government always blames His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile for instability and unrest in Tibet. Let us not look for scapegoats. Let us see what the late Panchen Lama had to say about the real conditions in Tibet in an address to the members of the `Tibet Autonomous Region's' standing committee of the National People's Congress in Beijing 1987.

Chinese population transfer into Tibet

"The expense of keeping one Chinese in Tibet is equal to that of keeping four in China. Why should Tibet spent its money to feed them? ... Today, the Chinese personnel come to Tibet accompanied by their families. They are like the American mercenaries. They fight and die for money. This is ridiculous... Tibetans are the legitimate masters of Tibet. The wishes and the feelings of the people of Tibet must be respected."

Education

"The central government has frequently talked about the importance of learning and using the Tibetan language in Tibet. But it has done nothing to ensure its implementation. In Tibet we have very deplorable translation facilities... I could not find anyone capable of interpreting between Tibetan and English. Therefore, I had to use a Chinese interpreter and speak in Chinese. This must have given a very bad impression to outsiders. This fact proves how poor the standard of education is in Tibet."

Leftist practice in Tibet

"What are we gaining from the leftist practices in Tibet? Those with leftist ideology are suppressing everything. When comrade Hu Yaobang was disgraced recently, the leftist officials exploded firecrackers and drank in celebration. They commented that the stalwart supporter of the Tibetan people had been defeated."

As for our "instigating", the Tibetan leadership has categorically denied, again and again, the allegations that we are behind demonstrations in Tibet and that we are engaging in some kind of terrorist acts. We have asked the Chinese Government to produce substantive evidence to support these serious allegations and also allow an independent international commission to visit Tibet and determine the real causes. We received no response from Beijing to date.

Since China's invasion of Tibet in 1949, the Tibetan Government and His Holiness the Dalai Lama made consistent efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Tibetan issue. To begin with, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Beijing in 1954 to meet with top Chinese leaders, including Chairman Mao. Unfortunately, China went back on all the assurances given to him which finally resulted in the National Tibetan Uprising on 10 March 1959, Thereafter, His Holiness the Dalai Lama had to escape to India followed by 80,000 Tibetans.

From 1959 until 1979, the Tibetan Government in Exile and the Chinese Government had no contact. However, throughout this period His Holiness the Dalai Lama retained his hope of finding a peaceful solution to the problem of Tibet through contact and dialogue with the Chinese Government. Soon after coming to India, His Holiness the Dalai Lama issued a press statement in Mussoorie on 20 June 1959, wherein he said: "Although recent actions and policies of the Chinese authorities in Tibet have created strong feelings of bitterness and resentment against the Government of China, we, Tibetans, lay and monk alike, do not cherish any feelings of enmity and hatred against the great Chinese people... We must also insist on the creation of a favourable climate by the immediate adoption of the essential measures as a condition precedent to negotiations for a peaceful settlement."

In the light of political changes in China after Chairman Mao's death in 1976, His Holiness the Dalai Lama in his 10 March Statement to the Tibetan people in 1978 said: "(T)he Chinese should allow the Tibetans in Tibet to visit their parents and relatives now in exile... Similar opportunity should be given to the Tibetans in exile. Under such an arrangement we can be confident of knowing the true situation inside Tibet."

Towards the end of 1978, Mr. Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was contacted through a common friend, by Mr. Li Juisin, director of Xinhua News Agency, in Hong Kong. As invited, Mr. Thondup made a private visit to Beijing in late February 1979 with the approval of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Mr. Thondup met with leading Chinese officials in Beijing. They told him that under the "Gang of Four" China had suffered great instability, affecting its development in the fields of industry and agriculture. Tibet also suffered as a result of this, they said, and added that the 1959 Uprising in Tibet was inspired by a number of factors for which His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people could not be blamed.

Mr. Deng Xiaoping said during his meeting with Mr. Thondup that China was willing to discuss and resolve with Tibetans all issues except the complete independence of Tibet

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government responded by sending three fact-finding delegations to Tibet in 1979 and 1980.

Since then His Holiness the Dalai Lama continued to make sincere efforts to develop closer contact and a better understanding with the Chinese Government. We took several confidence-building steps and other initiatives for negotiations.

For example, on 21 July 1980. we suggested that travel restrictions on Tibetans willing to visit their relatives in and outside Tibet should be eased. This was rejected by Beijing.

In September 1980, the exile Government offered to send about fifty named Tibetan teachers to help in Tibet. In response, China first stalled the matter by stating that since these Tibetan youths were brought up and educated in India with good facilities, they would face difficulties in adjusting to the poor living conditions in Tibet. Instead, they proposed that the teachers should first be sent to work in various Nationalities Schools within China. When the exile Tibetan government replied that the Tibetan volunteers were fully aware of the poor facilities in Tibet, left with no valid reason to deny permission, the Chinese Government put forward unacceptable pre-conditions by suggesting that the Tibetan teachers must first accept Chinese nationality.

Around the same time the Tibetan suggestion to open a liaison office in Beijing to foster closer contacts was also turned down.

On 14 December 1980, the Government in Exile asked the Chinese authorities to allow eleven Tibetan scholars, living in Tibet, to attend a conference of Tibetologists in India. This was met with an outright rejection.

On 23 March 1981, His Holiness the Dalai Lama wrote a letter to Mr. Deng Xiaoping, in which, amongst other things, he stated; "Time has come to apply our common wisdom in the spirit of tolerance and broad-mindedness to achieve genuine happiness for the Tibetan people with renewed urgency. On my part, I remain committed to contribute to the welfare of all human beings and, in particular, the poor and the weak, to the best of my ability, without making any discrimination based on nationalities, I hope you will let me know your views on the foregoing points."

There was no reply to this letter. Instead, on 28 July 1981, Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang gave Mr. Gyalo Thondup a document, entitled "Five Point Policy Towards the Dalai Lama", which reduced the issue of Tibet to the personal status of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Since the only real issue is the future well-being of the Tibetan people, in April 1982, His Holiness the Dalai Lama sent a three-member high-level delegation to Beijing to have exploratory talks with the Chinese leadership. This delegation put forward a number of broad proposals for consideration by the Chinese leaders.

Both parties agreed to keep the proceedings confidential. However, soon after the Tibetan delegation reached India on 8 June, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman gave a distorted version of the talks, alluding that our delegates have asked for the same status for Tibet as had been promised to Taiwan if it accepted unification. The Chinese spokesman was quoted by the Associated Press news dispatch of 18 June 1982, as having said; "There simply does not exist the question of applying the nine point policy to Tibet as in the case of Taiwan." Again in December 1982, China's official weekly, Beijing Review, published another distorted version of the proceedings of our talks.

Nevertheless, the Tibetan side strictly adhered to its agreement of confidentiality and did not divulge the content of the talks even in response to queries from the press. As a result, the Tibetan Government in Exile suffered strong criticism from Tibetans and our supporters.

In February 1983, His Holiness the Dalai Lama expressed his desire to visit Tibet.

In October 1984, another three member, high-level delegation was sent to Beijing to ask the Chinese Government to end its latest political repression in Tibet, discuss arrangements for a possible visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and to explore possibilities for future talks. The Chinese response to all these overtures were negative.

To all these initiatives, the Chinese leadership showed no real interest in solving the Tibetan issue through serious and meaningful negotiations. In fact, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the leadership in Beijing was not sincere and serious and were trying to buy time to further tighten their grip on Tibet through various repressive measures.

It was under these circumstances His Holiness the Dalai Lama was compelled to appeal directly to the international community for help by making public the proposals he had been putting forward to the Chinese leadership directly since 1979.

Addressing the United States Congress human Rights Caucus on 21 September I 987, His Holiness the Dalai Lama released the Five Point Peace Plan for Tibet. The five points are: