This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7933207.stm

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Dalai Lama renews autonomy call Tibetans' lives 'hell on Earth'
(about 3 hours later)
The Dalai Lama has repeated his demand for "legitimate and meaningful autonomy" for Tibet. The Dalai Lama has launched a fierce attack on Chinese rule in his Tibetan homeland, describing its people's lives as "hell on Earth".
His call came in a message on the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Five decades of Chinese rule had caused "untold suffering", Tibet's exiled spiritual leader said, accusing Beijing of creating a climate of fear.
Tibet's exiled spiritual leader said independence from China was not the answer. He also accused China of creating a climate of fear in Tibet. He also repeated his demand for Tibet's "legitimate and meaningful autonomy".
He said hundreds of thousands of Tibetans had been killed, and thousands of places of worship destroyed. His words came on the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese troops which led to his exile.
The Dalai Lama's message came five decades after a bloody uprising against Chinese troops in Lhasa that led, a week later, to his flight into exile in India. China says its troops freed Tibetans from effective slavery in a feudal society. It is planning to mark 28 March - the day in 1959 on which the Communist Party dissolved the existing local government in Tibet - as Serfs' Emancipation Day.
China says its troops freed Tibetans from slavery in a feudal society. It is planning to mark 28 March - the day in 1959 on which the Communist Party dissolved the existing local government in Tibet - as Serfs' Emancipation Day. Thousands of Chinese troops and paramilitary police are said to have been deployed in Tibetan-populated regions amid fears of fresh violence on the sensitive anniversary.
The Dalai Lama said the two sides needed to work for "mutual benefit". Campaign groups have already reported some unrest in areas around Tibet. China does not allow foreign journalists unrestricted access to Tibet or restive areas surrounding it, making it extremely difficult to verify these reports.
Beijing says it has tightened its border controls in preparation for "expected sabotage activities by the Dalai Lama clique".
On Monday, in a sign that the Chinese government's stance on Tibet is unlikely to soften, President Hu Jintao called for a "Great Wall" against Tibetan separatism.
"We must build up a Great Wall in our fight against separatism and safeguard the unity of the motherland, and push Tibet's basic stability toward long-term security," state television quoted him as saying.
'Mutual benefit'
The Dalai Lama said hundreds of thousands of Tibetans had been killed, and thousands of places of worship destroyed.
But the two sides needed to work for "mutual benefit".
"We Tibetans are looking for legitimate and meaningful autonomy, an arrangement that would enable Tibetans to live within the framework of the People's Republic of China," the exiled leader said."We Tibetans are looking for legitimate and meaningful autonomy, an arrangement that would enable Tibetans to live within the framework of the People's Republic of China," the exiled leader said.
"I have no doubt that the justice of Tibet's cause will prevail.""I have no doubt that the justice of Tibet's cause will prevail."
'Constant fear'
The Dalai Lama paid tribute to all those who had died since 1959, including victims of last year's deadly protests in Lhasa that spilled over into other ethnic Tibetan regions. TIBET DIVIDE China says Tibet was always part of its territoryTibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before the 20th CenturyChina launched a military assault in 1950Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising which began on 10 March 1959Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled days later and crossed into India on 31 March 1959 The Tibet issue: China's viewThe Tibet issue: Tibetan viewThe Dalai Lama paid tribute to all those who had died since 1959, including victims of last year's deadly protests in Lhasa that spilled over into other ethnic Tibetan regions. TIBET DIVIDE China says Tibet was always part of its territoryTibet enjoyed long periods of autonomy before the 20th CenturyChina launched a military assault in 1950Opposition to Chinese rule led to a bloody uprising which began on 10 March 1959Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled days later and crossed into India on 31 March 1959 The Tibet issue: China's viewThe Tibet issue: Tibetan view
"Even today Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear and the Chinese authorities remain constantly suspicious of them," he said from his seat in exile in India's Dharamsala. Successive Chinese campaigns - class struggle, the Cultural Revolution and "patriotic re-education" - had "thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth", he said from his seat in exile in India's Dharamsala.
"Even today Tibetans in Tibet live in constant fear and the Chinese authorities remain constantly suspicious of them."
Tibet's religion, culture, language and identity were "nearing extinction", he said, and Chinese development was devastating the Tibetan environment and way of life.Tibet's religion, culture, language and identity were "nearing extinction", he said, and Chinese development was devastating the Tibetan environment and way of life.
He repeated an accusation that China has killed "hundreds of thousands of his people".He repeated an accusation that China has killed "hundreds of thousands of his people".
"Many infrastructural developments... which seem to have brought progress to Tibetan areas were really done with the political objective of Sinicising Tibet," he added."Many infrastructural developments... which seem to have brought progress to Tibetan areas were really done with the political objective of Sinicising Tibet," he added.
China has always denied any mass killings of Tibetans.China has always denied any mass killings of Tibetans.
Referring to his "Middle Way approach" - offering to accept Chinese sovereignty in Tibet in return for genuine autonomy - the 73-year-old leader expressed disappointment that China had "not responded appropriately to our sincere efforts".Referring to his "Middle Way approach" - offering to accept Chinese sovereignty in Tibet in return for genuine autonomy - the 73-year-old leader expressed disappointment that China had "not responded appropriately to our sincere efforts".
But he said the two sides should "look to the future and work for our mutual benefit".But he said the two sides should "look to the future and work for our mutual benefit".
"Fulfilling the aspirations of the Tibetan people will enable China to achieve stability and unity," he added."Fulfilling the aspirations of the Tibetan people will enable China to achieve stability and unity," he added.
'Expected sabotage'
The latest round of stop-start talks with Beijing last November concluded with China condemning the Tibetans' proposals as a bid for "disguised independence".The latest round of stop-start talks with Beijing last November concluded with China condemning the Tibetans' proposals as a bid for "disguised independence".
And the BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing says it is very difficult to see where progress can happen at the moment.And the BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing says it is very difficult to see where progress can happen at the moment.
In a separate statement, the Tibetan government-in-exile pledged to continue to push the "Middle Way approach" but said the continuation of contact depended solely on China.In a separate statement, the Tibetan government-in-exile pledged to continue to push the "Middle Way approach" but said the continuation of contact depended solely on China.
Thousands of Chinese troops and paramilitary police are said to have been deployed in Tibetan-populated regions amid fears of fresh violence on the sensitive anniversary.
Campaign groups have already reported some unrest in areas around Tibet. China does not allow foreign journalists unrestricted access to Tibet or restive areas surrounding it, making it extremely difficult to verify these reports.
Beijing says it has tightened its border controls in preparation for "expected sabotage activities by the Dalai Lama clique".
On Monday, in a sign that the Chinese government's stance on Tibet is unlikely to soften, President Hu Jintao called for a "Great Wall" against Tibetan separatism.
"We must build up a Great Wall in our fight against separatism and safeguard the unity of the motherland, and push Tibet's basic stability toward long-term security," state television quoted him as saying.