Exiled Tibet govt calls for halt to anti-China protests

DHARAMSHALA, India (AFP) — The Dalai Lama's Tibetan government-in-exile on Wednesday called for a temporary halt to protests against China as a mark of respect to earthquake victims.

Tibetan monks in exile gather to express their solidarity and condolences to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake

"In order to express our solidarity with the great natural disaster that befell on China, Tibetans across the world should shun staging demonstrations in front of Chinese embassies in the respective host countries they live in," spokesman Thubten Samphel told AFP, quoting from a statement issued by the India-based exiled government.

The statement said protests should be put off "at least until about the end of May," and also urged Tibetans to "write a letter, or send messages to the concerned, that they are doing so in solidarity with the quake victims."

"Since it is very important for Tibetan exiles, or Tibetans living in the free world, also to join in this (relief) effort, we should initiate solidarity actions by organising prayer meetings and raising donations," it added.

The statement also called on "Tibetans living in other parts of the world to initiate... collaborative activities, and explore possibilities of establishing Sino-Tibetan friendship associations."

Chinese-controlled Tibet was rocked by unrest in March, and the Tibetan government-in-exile says 203 Tibetans were killed and 1,000 injured in China's subsequent crackdown.

China says Tibetan "rioters" and "insurgents" killed 21 people, and has accused the Dalai Lama of trying to sabotage the Beijing Olympics -- a charge the Tibetan spiritual leader denies.

Tibetan government spokesman Thubten Samphel told AFP that the Dalai Lama, who fled to India in 1959 following a failed uprising in his homeland, has expressed solidarity with the quake victims.

"His Holiness has expressed his deep sorrow for those who have died and prays for those who are going through this tragedy to have the strength to recover," Samphel said.

The May 12 earthquake in China's southwestern Sichuan province has left at least 40,000 people dead and five million homeless.