Radical Tibetan exiles voiced concerns that their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was preparing to kowtow to China over the question of Tibetan independence. Their anxiety comes amid widespread expectations that the Dalai Lama will signal a significant shift in policy towards Beijing in a specially prepared statement during his current visit to the United States.Reports have suggested that the Dalai Lama will use the statement to distance himself even further from the cause of Tibetan independence, and move towards recognition of Tibet and Taiwan as integral parts of China.Such a position is anathema to many exiled Tibetans, including the highly influential, 10,000-member Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), which refuses to contemplate any policy that falls short of independence. ``We hope very much that His Holiness will never make any statement that will harm the Tibetan inspiration, by which I mean the many Tibetans, including the TYC, who are fighting for independence,'' TYC general secretary DemaLhundup said.``There are so many people who don't want to live with the Chinese. We hope he will keep in mind these important things,'' Lhundup said. The exiled government's information and external affairs minister, T C Tethong, confirmed the existence of the statement, but stressed that ``no definite date or time'' had been set for its release. The Dalai Lama, who arrived in the United States on Wednesday, was due in Washinton at the weekend and might have a meeting next week with President Bill Clinton.``The statement will address the historical status of Tibet,'' Tethong said without elaborating, although he pointed out that the Dalai Lama had repeatedly renounced the idea of full independence for Tibet in favour of a high degree of autonomy.While acknowledging the TYC's opposition to a softening of the exiles' stance, Tethong played down the possibility of a major rift in the Tibetan movement. ``I do not forsee a split,'' he said. ``The TYC have consistently declared that they accept HisHoliness' leadership.''However, the question of independence is an extremely emotive one, and Lhundup made it clear that loyalty to the Dalai Lama did not extend to his policies. ``The TYC will strongly oppose any statement in regard to a settlement of the Tibetan issue which offers autonomy rather than independence,'' he said. ``His Holiness has already offered compromises but there has been no response from Beijing. We feel we should bring China to the negotiating table by applying international pressure and not by kowtowing to the Chinese bully.''
