Tibet exiles begin protest march

BBC News

More than 100 Tibetan exiles have begun a march from India to Tibet to protest against Chinese rule in the region.

The marchers left Dharamsala on the 49th anniversary of the Dalai Lama's escape from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, has called for greater pressure on China over its human rights record.

Tibet activists are hoping to use China's hosting of the Olympics to publicise their cause.

'Great impact'

Before the marchers set off, the Dalai Lama said he approved of China hosting the games because it provided the world with a chance to pressurise the Beijing government to uphold the Olympic ideals of freedom of speech and equality.

"China should prove herself a good host by providing these freedoms. Therefore, besides sending their athletes, the international community should remind the Chinese government of these issues," he said.

He added that the international community should "explore ways of investing their collective energies in producing a continuous positive change inside China even after the Olympics have come to an end".

The Dalai Lama has previously been seen as less radical than some exiled activists, says the BBC's Chris Morris - for example no longer advocating full independence for Tibet.

But his call for greater freedoms in the region is a demand that China will hear with increasing frequency in the Olympics year, says our correspondent.

'Going home'

Tibetan exile groups say the march is to be one of several protest events in the run-up to the games in Beijing in August.

"This is a people's march," said Lobsang Yeshi, one of the co-ordinators, according to the Associated Press news agency.

"It could potentially be our biggest protest since we came into exile in 1959. We are determined to go home and nobody could stop us from doing that."

Organisers say they represent tens of thousands of Tibetan exiles, and want to draw attention to what they see as Chinese suppression of Tibetan identity.

The precise route of the march has not yet been decided, and organisers will not say exactly where or when they will attempt to cross into Tibet from India.